Mission Highlights

Dragon makes safe Return after completing Milestone Mission

May 31, 2012

Photo: NASA

Completing the final Mission Milestones of its historic journey, the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft performed a successful Space Station Departure, Re-Entry and Splashdown Landing to end its 10-day Mission to the International Space Station.

Getting up early on Thursday, the Crew aboard the Space Station, in particular the USOS Residents, Don Pettit, Andre Kuipers and Joe Acaba, finished the Vestibule Outfitting task to prepare the cavity between Dragon and the Harmony Module. They removed the final power and data jumper and closed the Node 2 Hatch after Dragon's hatch had already been closed during Wednesday's operations. When hatches were closed, Vestibule Leak Checks and Depressurization picked up and had a duration of about 90 minutes. Mission Control confirmed a tight seal between the spacecraft and gave the Green Light to begin Common Berthing Mechanism demating. The Crew initiated the operations to release 16 bolts that were used to form a hard-mate between the vehicles. Driving four sets of four bolts, Dragon was demated in a choreographed manner with Mission Controllers confirming torque measurements to make sure all bolts were released properly. Dragon was officially unberthed from the nadir CBM at the Harmony Module of ISS at 8:07 GMT at a Mission Elapsed Time of 9 days and 23 minutes after spending a total of 5 days, 16 hours and 5 minutes attached to the Station. After unberthing, Dragon was held in place by Canadarm2 with its brakes on. Joe Acaba and Don Pettit were the prime Robotic Arm Operators for Thursday's operations. They released the brakes and started to maneuver Dragon to its Release Position. Making a very carefully executed maneuver, Dragon arrived at its Release Position 10 meters from ISS at 9:07 GMT. At that point, all of Dragon's Navigation Instruments were already active and underwent a thorough checkout to make sure both Thermal Imagers and the two LIDARs were providing good data to Dragon's flight computer.

SpaceX Mission Control performed a final alignment of the sensors and configured the on-board navigation system. Using its DragonEye Navigation Sensors consisting of LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and Thermal Imagers, the Spacecraft locks onto its target to maintain its precise alignment with ISS when flying along the R-Bar and departing the Station. Also, the Space Station made a re-orientation maneuver to the correct attitude for Dragon Release. Taking over the controls of the Robotics Work Station inside the Space Station's Cupola, Don Pettit was in charge of ungrappling and releasing the vehicle.

Release occurred at 9:49 GMT and the Robotic Arm was retracted. The Dragon was unleashed while the Space Station was passing over the Southern Ocean just South-East of Africa. Shortly thereafter, Dragon made a short engine pulse using its Draco Thrusters and slowly drifted away from ISS. Making another short engine burn two minutes later, Dragon increased its opening rate. A 180-degree Yaw maneuver was performed 7 minutes after release to point Dragon's nose to the correct direction for the Separation Burn that followed at 9:58 GMT. With that burn executed as expected, Dragon was on its way to depart the vicinity of ISS exiting the Keep-Out-Sphere at 9:59 GMT and making its way out of the Approach Ellipsoid. At a range of 1000 meters, NASA's involvement in the Dragon C2/3 Mission ended as the vehicle's return to Earth and associated operations are a SpaceX responsibility. "We really learned how we worked together as a team and overall that went very well," Holly Ridings, lead Dragon C2/3 Flight Director said when describing the work between Mission Control Houston and SpaceX that concluded after Dragon departed ISS. "Mostly we learned that to bring in a new partner, the SpaceX team, we were able to communicate and accomplish something very complicated." As Dragon departed ISS with the bulk of its prime mission objectives for this combined COTS 2 and 3 Test Flight complete, there was only one task left for the SpaceX teams - bringing Dragon home safely. "It's a very challenging phase of flight. Only a few countries have done this before, so we're not taking this lightly at all. But the crew looks good and we should be ready for it," said SpaceX Mission Director John Couluris previewing the Re-Entry Operation. While increasing its distance to ISS, Dragon performed another Engine Burn to adjust its orbit and lower its apogee in preparation for the Deorbit Burn. Also, the spacecraft closed its GNC Bay Door by releasing it from its three attach points on Dragon's exterior, completing the closure sequence and latching it in place. With that, the Grapple Fixture that was needed for Canadarm2 to get a firm grip of Dragon, was stowed. The Door also protects the DragonEye Navigation Instrument Suite during the Re-Entry Process.

Photo: NASA TV

Photo: NASA

While Dragon was in Free Flight, telemetry downlink and command uplink was accomplished via NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. Mission Controllers inside the SpaceX Control Center, Hawthorne, California, were monitoring their vehicle throughout the departure, free flight and entry process. Dragon ignited its Draco Thrusters to start the Deorbit Burn at 14:51 GMT while it was orbiting over the Indian Ocean. Firing its thrusters for 9 minutes and 50 seconds, Dragon was slowed down by 100 meters per second placing itself on a trajectory to intercept Earth's Atmosphere for re-entry. At 15:09 - just minutes before encountering entry interface - the Trunk Section separated from Dragon and the vehicle positioned itself in the correct orientation for entry.

Image: NASA TV

Once hitting the atmosphere, Dragon and its PICA-X Heat Shield had to endure temperatures of up to 1,600°C. PICA-X is derived from NASA’s phenolic impregnated carbon ablator heat shield, also called PICA and was developed by SpaceX and NASA's Ames Research Center. Dragon's computers were constantly using navigation data provided by the vehicle's GPS System and Inertial Measurement Units to adjust the vehicle's orientation to control the lift generated by the capsule to precisely target its desired splashdown zone. The Draco Thrusters were used to orient the spacecraft during entry. At an altitude of 13.7 Kilometers, Dragon initiated the Parachute Opening Sequence deploying its dual drogue chutes to stabilize the descent. The main chutes followed a short time later at an altitude of 3 Kilometers and Dragon slowed down to its splashdown velocity. NASA's P3 aircraft was used track the vehicle as it made its re-entry and descent acquiring thermal imagery and telemetry data. Dragon made a pin-point splashdown on time at 15:42 GMT about 900 Kilometers South-West of Baja, California ending its historic mission fulfilling all of its objectives.

The Dragon C2/3 mission had a duration of 9 days, 7 hours and 58 minutes.Immediately after splashdown, recovery efforts began. SpaceX and its contractor American Marine of Los Angeles had three ships deployed in the area. A 57-meter barge equipped with a crane system is used to pull Dragon out of the water and a 24-meter vessel is used for crew transport. Also part of the recovery fleet are two inflatables. About a dozen of SpaceX engineers and four divers are aboard the ships to perform initial post-flight safing and deal with any issues that might come up when the crew arrives at the spacecraft. Dragon will be hauled onto the deck of the primary recovery ship 'American Islander' that will then set sail and transport the vehicle to the Port of Los Angeles for shipment to SpaceX's Facility in McGregor, Texas. Once the vehicle arrives at the Port, SpaceX will demonstrate the expedited cargo return procedure. As part of rapid return operations, cargo is returned to NASA within 48 hours of splashdown. For cargo of this flight, an expedited return would not be necessary, but SpaceX will run through the procedures to demonstrate this capability. Two regular Cargo Transfer Bags and a half-sized CTB will be unloaded once Dragon is in port. These bags are filled with environmental samples and low-priority experiment equipment that will be undergoing post-flight analysis.

The remainder of the 660 Kilograms of return cargo will be shipped to NASA within 14 days (Full Cargo Manifest).This successful end of this high-profile mission also sets the stage for another round of reviews that will be going on between NASA and SpaceX for several weeks to examine and evaluate every aspect of this test flight to work out any open items that need closure before SpaceX can enter Crew Resupply Services. Should the company be approved for this next step, the first CRS mission could launch as early as September 2012. SpaceX is holding a $1.6-billion contract with NASA under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Program to launch at least 12 Space Station Resupply Missions following the Dragon Demonstration Missions. Initially, three test flights were planned, but COTS 2 and 3 were combined and the third flight will be cancelled should the C2/3 Flight be declared a complete success. The test flights are valued at up to $396 million. Dragon C3 will most likely be upgraded to CRS-1 should no surprises be revealed during post-flight analyses.

Photo: SpaceX

After the successful conclusion of the mission, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden issued the following statement:"Congratulations to the teams at SpaceX and NASA who worked hard to make this first commercial mission to the International Space Station an overwhelming success. This successful splashdown and the many other achievements of this mission herald a new era in U.S. commercial spaceflight. American innovation and inspiration have once again shown their great strength in the design and operation of a new generation of vehicles to carry cargo to our laboratory in space. Now more than ever we're counting on the inventiveness of American companies and American workers to make the International Space Station and other low Earth orbit destinations accessible to any and all who have dreams of space travel."

Splashdown Video

NASA and SpaceX ready for the Return of the Dragon

May 30, 2012

After completing the final Cargo Transfer Operations on Tuesday, the International Space Station crew as well as NASA and SpaceX are now preparing for the return of the Dragon set for Thursday, May 31. Cargo Transfers were completed as expected by the three USOS Crew Members aboard ISS, Don Pettit,Andre Kuipers and Joe Acaba that moved 520 Kilograms of Cargo from Dragon to the Station and 660 Kilograms of return cargo into the capsule. (Full Cargo Manifest) After it was verified that all items were on the correct side of the hatches, final spacecraft close-outs were performed and Dragon's hatch was closed at 13:05 GMT on Wednesday. When Dragon's Hatch was closed once again, the crew began working the Vestibule Outfitting task to prepare the cavity between the two spacecraft for unberthing. Andre Kuipers and Don Pettit installed four Control Panel Assemblies that were removed after Dragon had been berthed on Thursday. These units are needed to drive 16 bolts in order to bolt a vehicle down or release it from the Harmony Module's Nadir Berthing Mechanism. Functional tests of these CPAs were performed and close-out footage was acquired by the crew. They also removed power and data jumpers that were installed between the vehicles. One of these jumpers will remain in place until early on Thursday to provide ISS Power to Dragon. A thermal cover was installed to prepare the Node 2 Berthing Mechanism to be exposed to space again when Dragon has departed. The crew aboard the Station will go to bed early on Wednesday since Thursday will be another long work day with an early start - 2 hours ahead of the nominal Space Station Wake-Up time. On Thursday, the Harmony Vestibule Outfitting Procedure will be completed by the crew which will then close the Node 2 Hatch and depressurize the vestibule. A 65-minute leak check will follow to make sure all seals are tight. After bolts are released, Dragon will be free and under the control of the Robotic Arm that will be operated the ISS Crew. Unberthing is planned for 8:05 GMT and the robotic arm will carefully maneuver the Spacecraft to its Release Position 10 meters from the Station. All of Dragon's navigation systems will be checked before a GO for release is given.

Photo: NASA

At 9:35 GMT, the Robotic Arm will release the vehicle and retract to a safe distance. One minute after release when the spacecraft has recovered from Free Drift, Dragon will make a short engine pulse to move away from ISS at a very gentle speed. Two minutes after the first departure burn, another small engine firing is made to increase the opening rate of the vehicle. At 9:45 GMT, Dragon will make its Separation Burn to leave the vicinity of the Station - bidding farewell after achieving a new milestone in Space Flight History. This will also end the NASA involvement in the mission as SpaceX is responsible for bringing its spacecraft home. "We really learned how we worked together as a team and overall that went very well," Holly Ridings, lead Dragon C2/3 Flight Director said when describing the work between Mission Control Houston and SpaceX. "Mostly we learned that to bring in a new partner, the SpaceX team, we were able to communicate and accomplish something very complicated."

Image: NASA

Departing the Space Station will set the stage for Dragon's return to Earth which is the final big objective of the COTS 2 and 3 Mission. "It's still a very challenging phase of flight," Dragon mission director John Couluris of SpaceX said. "Only a few countries have done this so far, so we're not taking this lightly." Setting up for its return trip, Dragon will perform an Engine Burn to lower its Apogee and close its GNC Bay Door to protect its navigation instruments from the Entry Environment and retract its SSRMS Grapple Fixture. To close the door, it will be released by its three attach points on the exterior of Dragon, closed and latched in the proper position for re-entry. At 14:51, Dragon will start its Deorbit Burn. Its Draco engines will fire for about 10 minutes to place the vehicle on a trajectory to intercept Earth's atmosphere at the correct angle and start re-entry. Only minutes before encountering entry interface, Dragon will separate from its Trunk Section and re-orient itself for entry.

The Trunk will burn up during re-entry. Targeting its splashdown zone, Dragon's flight computers will control all aspects of the entry process. During the Re-Entry Process, Dragon's PICA-X Heat Shield has to withstand temperatures of up to 1,600°C. PICA-X is derived from NASA’s phenolic impregnated carbon ablator heat shield, also called PICA. About 10 minutes before Splashdown, at an altitude of 13.7 Kilometers, Dragon opens its dual Drogue Chutes slowing the vehicle down. Full deployment of the Drogues triggers the Main Chute Opening Command. This occurs at an altitude of 3 Kilometers. Flying under the Main Chutes, Dragon is slowed to its landing speed of 17 to 20 Kilometers per Hour. The vehicle will make a splashdown landing about 450 Kilometers off the coast of California at 15:44 GMT. After returning to Earth, Dragon will be recovered by a ship that is outfitted with crane equipment to pull the spacecraft out of the ocean. It will bring Dragon to land shortly after landing as SpaceX will demonstrate its expedited cargo return capability. Experiment hardware aboard Dragon will be returned to NASA within 48 hours after splashdown. For an overview of Dragon's Return trip with a full timeline, refer to our Mission Profile Site (Flight Day 10 Section).

ISS Crew completes majority of Dragon Cargo Transfers

May 29, 2012

Photo: NASA/ESA

Working through their checklists associated with Dragon Cargo Transfers on Monday, the three USOS Crew Members aboard ISS, Don Pettit,Andre Kuipers and Joe Acaba, completed most of the cargo operations of the mission. Originally scheduled to take two days, the Crew transferred 520 Kilograms of cargo from Dragon to stowage locations aboard the Station and loaded nearly 660 Kilograms of return cargo into Dragon. While going through their procedures, the crew experienced some difficulties associated with the new vehicle's cargo compartments. The fixed cargo lockers of Dragon prevent the crew from placing slightly overfilled Cargo Transfer Bags inside them. Other ISS resupply vehicles provide more flexible cargo locations. Since the return cargo that was packed on Monday did not include any sensitive items, the crew was able to use brute force to get the bags to fit inside the lockers. Dragon Flight Rules forbid any items outside of Cargo Bags to be transported back to Earth. This is necessary to precisely calculate the vehicle's center of gravity for the Entry Process since Dragon is making a guided descent process.

What is left for the crew are some last-minute items that will be loaded just before hatch closure. These include cold-bags with experiment material that will return to Earth. "A big thank you from the SpaceX and Houston teams for unpacking Dragon so quickly and efficiently," Mission Control told the crew after their Cargo Conference on Monday during which all items were discussed to make sure all cargo is on the correct side of the hatch. Ground-Controlled Robotic operations associated with the Dragon C2/3 resumed on Sunday. The SSRMS (Cnadarm2) was used to pick up the Dextre Robot or the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), to complete a survey of Dragon's Trunk. Dextre was moved to a viewing position and used its own Latching End Effector Camera Light Pan Tilt Assembly controlled by Mission Control to conduct the visual inspection of the Trunk Area in order to assess the Trunk for future operations when it will be carrying external Payloads to ISS. When the survey was complete, SPDM was placed on the Station's Mobile Base System and the Robotic Arm grappled Dragon to finish the operation. Dragon will stay attached to the Station until Thursday. Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers will drive the robotic arm to maneuver Dragon to its Release Point 10 meters from ISS. Dragon will be ungrappled at around 10 GMT after all of its navigation systems are verified and Canadarm2 will retreat. Dragon will re-activate its thrusters and recover from Free Drift. Three Engine Burns will be performed by the Vehicle to leave the vicinity of the Space Station. Mission Control Houston will verify that the Vehicle is on a safe path away from ISS. While leaving the Station, Dragon will start preparations for the return to Earth including the closure of its GNC Bay Door. Four hours after release, Dragon will be at a safe distance to the Station to fire its engines and make the Deorbit Burn taking it on a trajectory to re-enter Earth's Atmosphere for a splashdown off the coast of California at around 15:42 GMT on Thursday.

Station Crew opens Dragon's Hatch to start Cargo Operations

May 26, 2012

After Friday's historic Rendezvous and Capture of the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft to become the first Commercial Vehicle to be attached to the International Space Station, the Crew aboard ISS opened Dragon's Hatch on Saturday to set the Stage for Cargo Operations as SpaceX makes this premier ISS Resupply Flight. “This week’s successful launch and delivery of logistics supplies to the International Space Station by a US commercial space company, reminds us that where the entrepreneurial interests of the private sector are aligned with NASA’s mission to explore, America wins. Falcon 9’s maiden flight to ISS – and the other commercial space launches that lie ahead - represent the dawn of a new era in space exploration. Nearly 43 years after we first walked on the moon, we have taken another step in demonstrating continued American leadership in space,” said Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin in a Statement. After the vehicle was successfully berthed on Friday, the three USOS Crew Members aboard the Station, Joe Acaba, Andre Kuipers and Don Pettit, continued their long work day with preparations for hatch opening. (For all details on the Rendezvous, Capture and Berthing, refer to previous Mission Updates on this site.)

Photo: NASA/ESA

The three Astronauts started their operations on the Node 2 (Harmony) Nadir Hatch after receiving the GO from Mission Control Houston when all 16 Bolts had completed final torquing to secure Dragon in place for Docked Operations. The trio started with the pressurization of the vestibule between the two spacecraft and initiated leak checks to make sure that the seals on the Common Berthing Mechanism of Dragon were tight. Once that was confirmed, the crew stared operations to open Harmony's Hatch. When the Node 2 Hatch was open, the vestibule between ISS and Dragon was exposed and the crew was able to begin a task known as vestibule outfitting. They installed ducts and removed equipment that was needed to bolt Dragon in place such as the four Control Panel Assemblies that were used to drive the 16 bolts for Dragon first and second stage Capture. Also, connections were made by installing jumpers that supply power to the Dragon. In addition to that, the Spacecraft was hooked up to the Space Station's Data System. With Vestibule Outfitting nearly complete, the crew turned in for the day and resumed work after getting a well-deserved night's sleep. On Saturday, vestibule outfitting was completed and the crew members got started with hatch opening procedures. The pressure levels of Dragon and ISS were equalized by opening an equalization valve. Five minutes later, Mission Control gave a GO for hatch opening and Don Pettit opened the hatch to Dragon at 9:53 GMT marking another milestone of this mission.

Hatch Opening occurred while the complex was orbiting over over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand about to start a pass over Auckland. Assisted by Russian Crew Member Oleg Kononenko, the crew ingressed the vehicle wearing masks and safety goggles as part of nominal flight rules in place for every new vehicle that docks with the Space Station. This is done to prevent any debris or foreign objects to harm the crew. FOD particles could not be seen while Dragon is closed out on Earth and start floating around once it reached space. Don Pettit started a quick visual inspection to make sure everything was as expected inside Dragon. He reported that no debris or particles were found inside the vehicle. "It kind of reminds me of the cargo capability that I could put in the back of my pickup truck, and the smell inside smells like a brand new car," Pettit said. After taking air samples and installing Intermodule Ventilation Equipment, the crew members were required to leave Dragon for 20 minutes as part of nominal flight rules to allow the air inside the vehicle to mix with ISS air to make sure it is safe for the crew to work inside Dragon without wearing masks. The crew members installed more ducts and covers before Dragon was declared ready for Docked Operations. With Docked Operations now in full swing, the Crew is ready to start Cargo Operations. Some of these will be completed today, but the majority of Transfers will take place on Monday and Tuesday. About 25 Crew Hours are required to offload all the cargo items delivered to the Station and move all the return cargo inside Dragon and secure it for the trip back to Earth. A total of 520 Kilograms of cargo will be transferred to Station. This includes crew food, utilization payloads such as NanoRacks Experiment Modules, cargo bags for future use and computers with associated supplies. For the trip back to Earth, Dragon will be loaded with 660 Kilograms of cargo including experiments payloads, crew items, systems hardware and no-longer needed Spacewalk Equipment. A full Dragon C2/3 Cargo Manifest is available here. Also, check out the Mission Objectives list and see which ones have already been completed.

Hatch Opening Video

Dragon becomes a Part of ISS after flawless Berthing

May 25, 2012

After Friday's thrilling Rendezvous and Capture, the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft has been successfully attached to the International Space Station topping up a Day of many milestones and achievements for NASA and SpaceX. For a detailed report on all Rendezvous and Approach Events that were unfolding earlier on Friday, refer to the previous Mission Update giving a full picture of the Rendezvous and Capture along with background information.When being captured by the International Space Station a big round of applause sounded in both Mission Control Centers involved in the operation. "Looks like we've got a Dragon by the tail," Astronaut Don Pettit said moments after the Capture was confirmed. "Looks like this sim went really well. We're ready to turn it around and do it for real," he joked. "I can't tell you how proud we are to have been a part of this historic moment. ... The spacecraft was performing nearly flawlessly until getting to the R-Bar," said Mike Suffredini, NASA ISS Program Manager. "The team really tackled some challenges along the way. That was a great opportunity for both of us [NASA and SpaceX] to learn." After initial Capture, the Canadarm2 completed its capture sequence to achieve a firm grip of the Dragon Spacecraft. When that was complete, the teams made a first visual inspection of the Common Berthing Mechanism to make sure that no contamination or foreign objects were present. Also, the Space Station made a re-orientation maneuver to achieve its nominal attitude after being maneuvered to a Capture Attitude before Dragon began its approach. While that was underway, Don Pettit made a visual inspection of the seal of the Common Berthing Mechanism of the vehicle to verify that it was not harmed during ascent. No damage or foreign object were found on the three O-Rings of the Berthing Mechanism. Once Houston gave a GO for Arm Motion, Don Pettit started the maneuver to move Dragon to its Pre-Installation Position for more checks and alignment verifications. At the Pre-Berthing Position, the maneuver was stopped so that Dragon was able to place its solar arrays in the correct configuration for berthing and docked operations. A GO was given for the Crew to move the Spacecraft to the Ready-To-Latch-Position and the operation was completed without a problem. Alignment was by the book and all four Ready-To-Latch-Indicators switched to Green indicating that Dragon was in the proper position for installation on the Harmony Module. While Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers were moving the SSRMS, Astronaut Joe Acaba was Friday's designated Common Berthing Mechanism Operator working inside the Harmony Module. Once the Green Light was given for First Stage Capture, he initiated the procedure by driving bolts. When First Stage Capture was complete at 15:52 GMT, the Station's Robotic Arm was commanded to go limp to set the stage for Second Stage Capture. Acaba initiated the sequence to form a hard-mate between Dragon and the Space Station driving a total of 16 bolts in a choreographed manner. At 16:02 GMT - 3 Days, 8 Hours and 18 Minutes after lifting off from Florida - Dragon became the very first commercial spacecraft to be firmly attached to ISS - completing yet another milestone in this historic flight of the Dragon. "Today was a really great day in space. The SpaceX team did a wonderful job understanding the data they were seeing for the first time," said Holly Ridings, the Lead NASA Flight Director for this mission when describing Friday's Operations.

SpaceX founder and Chief Designer Elon Musk congratulated his entire SpaceX Team. "There was so much to wrong and it all went right. Were able to overcome some last minute issues with some fast-thinking at NASA Mission Control and SpaceX Mission Control, and we got it there," Musk said. "This is going to be recognized as a significant step forward in space flight," he said leading to cheers of his SpaceX team chanting 'We love you, Elon.'Once everything was verified aboard ISS, the Robotic Arm's breaks were put in place to conclude Robotic Operations for the day as the timeline of the Station Crew didn't allow the arm to be detached as originally planned. The berthing operation was ahead of schedule making up time that was lost during Dragon's Rendezvous. Mission Control started one hour of Bolt Loading completing final torquing of the 16 Bolts to set the stage for leak checks of the vestibule between the two spacecraft. The vestibule between the hatches of Harmony and Dragon will be pressurized and a series of leak checks will start to make sure the seal between ISS and the Spacecraft is tight. When leak checks are complete, Mission Control will give a go for Harmony Hatch Opening. Once the Harmony Hatch is open, the Crew Members will start the Vestibule Outfitting Task which involves the installation of ducts and the removal of equipment that was needed to bolt Dragon in place such as the four Control Panel Assemblies that were used to drive bolts for Dragon Capture. This will complete crew operations for the day after the three USOS Crew Members worked through a long day on Friday making this major step in Commercial Space Flight happen.

They will have some off-duty time before turning in for the day - getting some well deserved rest. Robotic operations will resume on Saturday. The SSRMS will be used to pick up the Dextre Robot or the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), to complete a survey of Dragon's Trunk. Dextre will be moved to a viewing position and use its own Latching End Effector Camera Light Pan Tilt Assembly controlled by Mission Control to conduct the visual inspection of the Trunk Area in order to assess the Trunk for future operations when it will be carrying external Payloads to ISS. When the survey is complete, SPDM will be placed on the Station's Mobile Base System to finish the operation. Also on Saturday, the Crew aboard the Station will finish vestibule outfitting and open the hatch to the Spacecraft. They will complete nominal inspections and initial ingress operations to validate that the air inside Dragon meets ISS standards. Then, the busy Cargo Portion of the Mission can begin. 25 Crew Hours are required to unload the 520 Kilograms of Cargo from Dragon and place 660 Kilograms of return cargo into the spacecraft. The full Dragon C2/3 Cargo Manifest is available here.

Photo: NASA TV

Dragon's Common Berthing Mechanism

SpaceX Dragon Captured by ISS after dramatic Rendezvous

May 25, 2012

Achieving a Milestone in Space Flight History, SpaceX has become the first Commercial Company to send a Spacecraft to the International Space Station. The Dragon Vehicle was successfully captured by the Space Station's Robotic Arm on Friday at 13:56 GMT after a dramatic Rendezvous during which Dragon had to prove itself as part of complex Abort Demonstrations and during unexpected situations testing both, the Spacecraft and the Mission Control Teams - overcoming challenges to acheive a major success.After Thursday's ISS Fly-Under, Dragon started a complex set of Height Adjust and Co-Elliptic Burns to make a lap around the Space Station to target its nominal approach point. When Fly-Under Operations were complete and Dragon had crossed the R-Bar at a distance of 2,780 Meters, it made a maneuver to increase the range to the V-Bar back to 10 Kilometers before flying out to a point ~240 Kilometers ahead of the station to make another burn pair to get up above the Station crossing the V-Bar and making a maneuver to start its route back behind ISS.

Photo: NASA

Once arriving at a point more than 200 Kilometers behind ISS and 10 Kilometers above the V-Bar, Dragon successfully maneuvered itself down to a position below the Station's Velocity Vector - completing this 22-hour racetrack-trajectory. There, Dragon awaited the final GO for its historic attempt to rendezvous with the Space Station.Evaluations of the Fly-Under procedures completed on Thursday that included a check of Dragon's Relative GPS System and its UHF Communications System for direct Communications with ISS, were underway with NASA and SpaceX working closely with each other. At 1:38 GMT the International Space Station Mission Management Team completed its poll and gave formal approval for Dragon's Rendezvous and Berthing attempt. The final GO however, came from Mission Control Houston and SpaceX Dragon Control Hawthorne just before the Height-Adjust Burn 2 which took place at 4:46 GMT and put Dragon on a trajectory towards the Space Station. At a distance of 2.5 kilometers to the V-Bar of ISS, the Co-Elliptic Burn 2 was performed.

Photo: SpaceX

Thermal image of Earth acquired by DragonEye Thermal Sensors

Credit: NASA TV

Credit: NASA TV

Credit: NASA TV

Thermal Image of ISS acquired by Dragon

Flying below the Station, Dragon started closing in on the R-Bar. At that time, integrated operations between Mission Controllers in Houston and Hawthorne began - meaning that MCC-H had authority over the mission while SpaceX Controllers provided Dragon Commanding and inputs for the team in Houston moving through the procedures that were rehearsed in countless simulations and training sessions involving both teams. Another poll was completed and all stations reported GO for the HA/CE 3 pair of maneuvers taking Dragon to a point behind and 1.4 Kilometers below ISS. Time of Ignition for HA3 was 7:03 GMT and the Draco Thrusters aboard Dragon fired on time and as planned. A set of two Mid-Course Correction Burns was made to fine-tune Dragon's path to ISS in order to acquire the Station's R-Bar at the correct range. The final Co-Elliptic Burn of the Rendezvous was also executed nominally and occurred at 7:46 GMT. At 8:19, the Approach Initiation Burn was made that set Dragon up for R-Bar Acquisition. Two Mid-Course Corrections followed and Dragon entered the Approach Ellipsoid - a 1,100-Meter corridor around the Station about 25 minutes after Approach Initiation. At that point, the Crew aboard ISS tasked with Dragon Rendezvous Operations, Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers, started to monitor the vehicle as it closed in on the orbiting outpost. The Station Crew had a busy morning filled with preparatory steps such as setting up cameras and configuring the Robotics Work Station in the cupola and the backup station in the Destiny Laboratory. Also, they activated the CUCU - the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Communication Unit (CUCU). This unit is used to send UHF-Commands to Dragon during proximity operations which then responds accordingly. The Commercial Communications Infrastructure aboard ISS was set up while the Space Shuttle was still flying - bringing components including the CUCU to the Station in 2009. Testing of the System was underway in 2010 and was now used for Proximity Operations for the first time. After all systems were checked out, the two Crew Members started monitoring the vehicle's approach standing by to begin Rendezvous Abort Demonstrations. Dragon arrived at the R-Bar - directly below ISS - at a Range of 350 Meters and started a 180-degree Yaw-Maneuver to point its nose in the correct position for its final approach. Coasting up the R-Bar at a Range Rate of 0.24 meters per second, Dragon arrived at 250 Meters and a crucial set of Demonstrations kicked off after Dragon's status was verified by SpaceX control. As Dragon initiated its Stationkeeping, plumes of exhaust gave a photogenic impression as the vehicles were passing through orbital night making these thruster firings visible to the TV cameras on the Station's exterior. Setting up for the demonstrations, the two Crew Members went through alignment checks to make sure Dragon's Position was within nominal error rates. Mission Control gave the green light for the Retreat Demonstration and SpaceX Flight Controllers commanded Dragon to re-initiate its approach. Dragon closed in at a rate of about 0.25m/s and once arriving at the 234-Meter mark, Pettit and Kuipers issued a Retreat command via the CCP or Crew Command Panel. Dragon properly executed the command and followed a pre-programmed retreat sequence taking it back on the R-Bar to the 250-Meter Hold Point. Mission Control was evaluating Dragon's attitude and velocity parameters to verify the these were within specifications before re-starting the approach. Arriving at 235 Meters again, Dragon received a Hold command from the CUCU System that triggered an immediate Hold. During the Period of Stationkeeping, Dragon's Vehicle and Navigation Parameters were assessed once again to make sure braking performance was nominal. Taking some extra time of Stationkeeping, Mission Control evaluated data provided by the DragonEye Sensors, LIDAR and the Thermal Imager, to make sure data of both sensors is in good agreement with actual values. Using its DragonEye navigation Sensors consisting of a LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) a Thermal Imager, the Spacecraft locked onto its target earlier to maintain its precise alignment with ISS when flying along the R-Bar.

Image: NASA

The navigation sensors underwent checkout early in the flight and during Thursday's Fly-Under showing rock solid navigation performance. To get a better look at ISS via the two Thermal Imagers, Dragon was allowed to proceed to 200 Meters where another Hold was inserted. This hold gave controllers the opportunity to check the two imagers at a closer distance to ISS. Dragon arrived at the Hold Point at about 11:15 GMT. After resuming its approach, Dragon entered the keep Out Zone which is an imaginary, 200-Meter sphere around ISS. In that zone, the highest safety standards have to be met and Dragon was only allowed to enter this area because is passed all of its demonstration objectives. As Dragon was flying inside the KOS, Pettit, Kuipers and Mission Controllers were keeping a very close eye on Dragon ready to take action had any off-nominal situation occurred. Starting an extra hold at 150-Meters, teams were already 60 minutes behind the planned timeline. However, delays were expected due to the nature of this test flight, so everyone involved was ready to execute dynamic operations. While holding at 150 Meters, teams continued to cross-check the LIDARs and Thermal Imagers as there were some discrepancies in the data they were producing. SpaceX wanted data of both systems to converge and identify the source of these inconsistencies.

Credit: NASA TV

Credit: NASA TV

Credit: NASA TV

Credit: NASA TV

Finally, reviews were wrapped up and the GO for final approach was given at around 11:42 GMT. 20 minutes later, SpaceX Controllers called an unplanned hold and commands were immediately sent from California. Holding at 80 Meters, Dragon underwent a LIDAR Mode Reconfiguration and resumed its approach once that was verified. At 59 Meters to ISS a Retreat was triggered by SpaceX Mission Control due to bad data coming from one of the two LIDARs. Backing away to 70 Meters, the Crew aboard the Station commanded a hold to give teams time to investigate what caused the problem that required a retreat procedure. SpaceX determined that the LIDAR in question received stray reflections from a component at the Japanese Kibo Module. LIDAR bounces laser beams off the Station's exterior to generate a 3D model of ISS providing distance, closure rate, and orientation data to the Flight Computers. As Dragon targets chosen reflectors, other reflectors aboard the Station can cause problems as they reflect laser beams. Controllers reconfigured the system narrowing the Field of View of the LIDAR in question so that the suspected retroreflector was out of the FOV. The Rendezvous resumed at 13:03 GMT and proceeded smoothly. At a range of 30 Meters, another planned hold came up to give both Mission Control Centers the opportunity to look at the status and alignment of the vehicle and target the proper Capture Time as Mission Control preferred Dragon to be grappled in daylight. Teams determined that everything was in readiness for Capture and sent commands to Dragon which then resumed its approach around 13:30 GMT. This marked the most critical portion of the approach as Dragon came within 10 Meters of the station and as close as 5 Meters to the robotic arm which was in its pre-capture position. At the 10-Meter mark, Mission Control verified that the relative motion between ISS and Dragon was zero. Both vehicles transitioned to Free Drift Mode - disabling all Dragon and ISS Thrusters for the Capture. Driving the Space Station's Robotic Arm, Don Pettit received a GO for capture and started arm motion. As he precisely tracked the vehicle through the camera on the Latching End Effector of the SSRMS, Pettit placed it in its pre-grapple position and checked alignment before maneuvering the End Effector over Dragon's grapple fixture. The Capture Sequence was executed and the Station had a firm grip of the Dragon. Capture occurred at 13:56 GMT while ISS was orbiting over North-West Australia. This clearly marked a major milestone of this test flight as the Rendezvous was considered to be the hardest part and it turned out to be quite difficult when looking at all the holds and retreats that had to be inserted into the sequence, but all that was expected as it was Dragon's first-ever Rendezvous. "This is pretty tricky. The space station is zooming around the Earth very 90 minutes and it's going 17,000 miles an hour. So you've got to launch up there, you've got to rendezvous and be tracking space station to within inches, really, and this is a thing that's going 12 times faster than the bullet from an assault rifle. So it's hard," Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and chief designer said in briefing before the mission. A big round of Applause was given by Mission Controllers in both Control Rooms."Looks like we've got a Dragon by the tail," Don Pettit said moments after the Capture was confirmed. "Looks like this sim went really well. We're ready to turn it around and do it for real," he joked. With this challenge overcome, Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers will now have to maneuver the Dragon and berth it to the Station's Harmony Node. The robotics operation is planned to take three hours. "That whole process is going to be a long day for us. It's going to be 10 hours plus to get all of that done. If we have a few hitches on the way, we may have to put it all on hold and pick it up the next day," said NASA Astronaut Don Pettit. For the berthing, the grappled Dragon will be moved to a pre-install set-up position at a distance of about 3.5 Meters to the module so that engineering photos can be acquired through the Node 2 Window.

Dragon will then be moved to its pre-berthing position at the Earth-facing (nadir) Common Berthing Mechanism on the Harmony Module. Four Ready to Latch Indicators will be used to verify that the Spacecraft is in the correct position and ready for berthing. Procedures will begin to perform first stage capture of the vehicle and allow the SSRMS to go limp. Afterwards, second stage capture will be executed and Dragon will be secured in place forming a hard-mate between Station and the Spacecraft marking the official start of docked operations. The Robotic Arm will either return to its pre-grapple position or remain attached to Dragon depending on timeline constraints.

Capture Video

Dragon completes successful ISS Fly-Under

May 24, 2012

Image: NASA

The SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft has completed its International Space Station Fly-Under on Thursday after its two-day journey to ISS during which initial objectives were completed by the vehicle.NASA and SpaceX had approved Dragon for the maneuver after all of the Flight Day 1 Objectives were met. These included Rendezvous Abort Demonstrations, Free Drift Checkouts as well as a test of the vehicle's Absolute GPS System. On Wednesday, Dragon made several firings of its Draco Thrusters to fine-tune its orbit on the way to ISS. Thursday was dedicated to the Fly-Under and Flyaround of Dragon. "The fly-under is very important to us because it's the first time the Dragon and the space station will communicate with each other, an absolute requirement for proximity operations," said Holly Ridings, NASA Lead Flight Director for the COTS2 Mission.

Early on Thursday, Mission Control Houston and the SpaceX Control Center, Hawthorne, California, completed the GO/No GO Poll for the Height-Adjust 2 and Co-Elliptic Burn 2. All stations reported GO and commands for the burns were uplinked to Dragon. This pair of Burns was needed to modify Dragon's orbit to take it to a point 2.5 Kilometers below the Station where Dragon crossed the Station's R-Bar. The HA-2 Burn was performed at 7:58 GMT and the CE2 Thruster Firing followed 45 minutes later. While Dragon was approaching the Space Station, it entered the Communications Zone in which it can directly communicate with ISS. The Relative GPS Demonstration was conducted by the SpaceX Control Team. RGPS provides information on Dragon's position and velocity relative to the ISS required for Rendezvous before the DragonEye navigation instruments can lock onto the target. RGPS Data was acquired to be compared with Absolute GPS Data of both, the Station and Dragon, to confirm that relative data corresponds with APGS.

According to NASA, initial Data Reviews showed no problems with the RGPS System, however, NASA will conduct additional reviews of all of Thursday's Operations during an ISS Mission Management Team Meeting taking place after the Fly-Under was complete. As Dragon continued its approach, the Crew Members aboard the Space Station started preparations for the CUCU Communications Test. For that, Andre Kuipers powered up the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Communication Unit (CUCU). This unit is used to send UHF-Commands to Dragon during proximity operations which then responds accordingly. The Commercial Communications Infrastructure aboard ISS was set up while the Space Shuttle was still flying - bringing components including the CUCU to the Station in 2009. Testing of the System was underway in 2010 and now it will be put to use for the first time. It is important that communications between ISS and Dragon are working once Dragon comes close to ISS during the Rendezvous. For the actual Rendezvous, Space Station Crew Members will be using the Crew Command Panel again to demonstrate commanding from ISS. Just before 10:00 GMT, Astronaut Don Pettit reported that Dragon was visible from the Station. Around 10:46 GMT, the crew send a test command via the Crew Command Panel. This strobe command caused Dragon to activate an external light for visual confirmation of command execution. The crew was unable to see the strobe light at that point because Dragon was too far out and the Sunlight was preventing them from taking a close look at Dragon. It was verified that the light was in fact on using Dragon's Telemetry Downlink. The procedure was completed nominally and Dragon switched on the strobe light as expected confirming that it can communicate with ISS. The SpaceX Flight Control Team also checked the thermal imager of the DragonEye Navigation Sensors aboard the vehicle - successfully acquiring a thermal image of the Space Station. Approaching as expected, Dragon made its closest approach at 11:25 GMT giving the Astronauts aboard the Station the chance to try and take photos of the small spacecraft as it passed ISS.

Image: NASA TV

Photo: NASA/ESA

ISS Cupola Robotics Work Station

Once crossing the ISS R-Bar at a distance of 2.7 Kilometers, Dragon slowly drifted away once again as its trajectory automatically moved it out of the Station's vicinity. This set the stage for a 22-hour operation during which Dragon makes a full lap around the Station. Another HA/CE Burn Pair was performed at 12:57 GMT with CE following several minutes later. This was done to move Dragon to a 10-Kilometer distance to the V-Bar or Velocity Vector of ISS. There, it will continue to increase its range to ISS and perform its first forward Height Adjust / Co-Elliptic Maneuver to move up above the Station's V-Bar crossing the velocity vector about 240 Kilometers ahead of the complex. When Dragon is 7 Kilometers above the V-Bar, it will conduct its second forward HA/CE Burn Pair starting its path to a point behind the station allowing ISS to cross beneath Dragon. While following its trajectory, another pair of Height Adjust and Co-Elliptic Burns has to be completed to increase the distance to the V-Bar by 3 Kilometers to 10 Kilometers. When arriving at a position more than 200 Kilometers behind the Station and 10 Kilometers above it, the Spacecraft will make a maneuver taking it on a path crossing the V-Bar and settling in its position 200 Kilometers behind and 10 Kilometers below ISS. There, Dragon will wait until everything is GO for the Re-Rendezvous taking place on Friday - pending good results of all reviews. Aboard the Space Station, final preparations for the Rendezvous, Capture and Berthing operations were underway today. These operations included the tests during today's Fly-Under. Also, the two crew members completed final camera calibrations and robotics training for the capture and berthing. While completing these tasks, Don Pettit ran into some trouble with one Monitor that is part of the Cupola Robotics Work Station and Mission Control took him through steps to recover from that condition. Overall, the Space Station and its Robotic Arm are ready for Friday's Rendezvous. Dragon is also in good condition with all pre-Rendezvous/Capture tests now complete. The spacecraft is running ahead of the fuel strategy SpaceX had planned for the mission. Fuel is a critical element of this test flight as teams want to preserve as much propellant for off-nominal situations like an aborted Rendezvous and a second try later in the mission. "We had a very, very successful Fly-Under, ... we are excited how the mission is going so far" noted Holly Ridings after the operation was complete. NASA and SpaceX have not found any immediate issues, but the final GO/No GO for the Re-Rendezvous will be given before the Heigh Adjust 2 Burn scheduled to start Rendezvous Operations on Friday. For a comprehensive overview of the Rendezvous Sequence Dragon will go through tomorrow, visit the Flight Day 4 Section of our Mission Profile Outline.

Dragon successfully completes Flight Day 1 Objectives

May 23, 2012

After Tuesday's flawless Falcon 9 launch, the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft has completed all of its Flight Day 1 Objectives and the combined team of NASA and SpaceX Flight Controllers can now move forward in the mission timeline - allowing Dragon to make its International Space Station Fly-Under on Thursday.The focus of the Flight Day 1 objectives were flight maneuvers and equipment checkouts. For details on the launch sequence and the initial on-orbit phase of the mission, refer to previous mission updates illustrating the first milestones Dragon passed once arriving in orbit including Solar Array Deployment and the GNC Bay Door Opening.The Dragon Spacecraft activated its Absolute GPS System and completed extensive tests of the System. AGPS is used to determine the vehicle's position in orbit. Also on tap for Dragon were Rendezvous Abort Tests. The first test was a Continuous Abort Demonstration using one long engine firing that would be used to abort Dragon's approach to ISS and take it out of the vicinity of the Station. Once Dragon had opened its GNC Bay Door exposing its DragonEye Navigation Sensors.

Photo: SpaceX

Teams performed checkouts of these systems and the vehicle's star trackers and found no immediate problems. Later in the day, the spacecraft performed a pulsed abort test firing its engines in short bursts. While the demonstrations were in progress, Space X Mission Controllers were assessing Dragon's velocity and attitude parameters to confirm that all values were within error margins. Also, Dragon underwent its Free Drift Demonstration that verified that the spacecraft can switch to Free Drift after associated commands were sent. With its thrusters inhibited, Dragon can not make any maneuvers to change its orientation. Free Drift is required for the final period of Stationkeeping during which the Space Station’s robotic arm grapples the spacecraft. While the arm is approaching Dragon, it cannot make engine firings that change its position and thus will be configured for Free Drift at that time. With all maneuvers and demonstrations completed for the day, NASA and SpaceX teams reviewed data that was acquired during the operations. Reviews concluded with a decision to continue the mission as no problems were found. On-Orbit, the Dragon Spacecraft performed several maneuvers to adjust its orbit including the Height Adjustment 1 and Co-Elliptic 1 Burns. Phasing maneuvers are continuing on Flight Day 2 to place Dragon in a position behind and below the Space Station. This sets the stage for Dragon's Fly-Under of the Space Station that is planned for Thursday. Mission Controllers will conduct another readiness poll ahead of the Height Adjust/Co-Elliptic Burn Pair 2 planned for 7:02 and 7:48 GMT. These Burns will take Dragon into the Space Station's Communications Zone to allow it to perform its Relative GPS demonstration.RGPS provides information on Dragon's position and velocity relative to the ISS required for Rendezvous before the DrgonEye navigation instruments can lock onto the target.

Photo: SpaceX

Photo of Dragon's interior after the Spacecraft arrived in Orbit

Dragon will cross the Station's R-Bar at a distance of 2.5 Kilometers (a point directly below the station). Around that time, Station Crew Members Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers will send a strobe command to activate a strobe light on Dragon to verify CUCU Communications are working properly demonstrating that the crew aboard the complex can command Dragon if needed during the Rendezvous. When all operations are complete, Dragon will initiate a 22-hour fly-around of the Space Station involving several maneuvers and burns to prepare the vehicle for Friday's Rendezvous and Capture Attempt starting once again with HA/CE 2. This will only occur when all Fly-Under Objectives are met and NASA approves Dragon to proceed further. For a detailed overview of the Fly-Under Procedure with a full timeline, visit our C2/3 Mission Profile site (Flight Day 3). Should the fly-under be completed nominally, Dragon will be allowed to make an attempt to rendezvous with ISS on Friday. Capture would occur at 12:06 GMT - pending successful completion of all Rendezvous and Approach Demonstrations. NASA plans to hold a Mission Status Briefing when Thursday's Operation is complete.

Dragon completing intial Milestones after arriving in Orbit

May 22, 2012

Photo: NASA Kennedy

_Following
Tuesday Morning’s Launch of a Falcon 9 Rocket carrying the Dragon Spacecraft,
the vehicle has started on-orbit operations on its historic journey to the International
Space Station.The
milestone mission got underway when a SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket lifted off from
Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, at
7:44:38GMT after a clean Countdown Sequence. "Every bit of adrenaline in
my body released at that moment," said Elon Musk about the moment the
rocket lifted off the pad. "People were really giving it their all. For us, it was like
winning the Super Bowl." After 9 minutes and 49 seconds of powered ascent,
the Dragon Spacecraft was released to begin its mission after the Falcon 9 Booster performed a flawless orbital insertion. For more details on
the countdown and launch sequence, refer to the previous mission update
featuring a detailed recap of Tuesday’s countdown and launch events.Following
Dragon’s arrival in orbit, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden delivered a
statement highlighting the importance of this achievement. "It's a great
day for America - It's actually a great day for the world. Today was the first in
a number of milestones in this mission. What a spectacular start. It was a
picture-perfect launch. Everything on the vehicle is working well," Bolden
said.

_After
arriving in its initial Low Earth Orbit of
297 by 346 Kilometers, Dragon successfully deployed its Solar Arrays – a
premier for SpaceX that had never tested its solar array technology in
space
before since the first Dragon Spacecraft performed its mission on
battery
power. "We've never actually had solar arrays deploy in space, so it's
the
first time we've done solar arrays. A number of things could have gone
wrong,
but everything went right,” SpaceX founder and Chief Technical Officer
Elon
Musk noted. Following this first important step in what is to become a mission of many challenges and milestones, Dragon performed its first Co-Elliptic Burn to adjust its orbit. As of 9:12 GMT, the vehicle has been in a 341 by 350-Kilometer Orbit with an inclination of 51.66 degrees. Communications with the Dragon Spacecraft are coming in S-Band via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.

_ Dragon has started nominal TDRSS Pointing after orbital
insertion and
communications have been stable ever since. Another big milestone was
passed
about 2 hours and 20 minutes into the flight. "Dragon spaceship opens
the
navigation pod bay door without hesitation,” Musk tweeted acknowledging
the
opening of Dragon’s GNC Bay Door which was a top priority for the early
mission
phase. It was confirmed that the door was in its locked position held in
place
at three attachment points on the exterior of the Dragon vehicle.
Opening this
door exposed the vehicle’s Navigation Instruments. A LIDAR laser ranging
instrument and a thermal imager will undergo extensive checkouts before
being
used to lock on ISS to provide precise range and velocity data. In
addition,
the Grapple Fixture that will be captured by the Space Station’s Robotic
Arm
once Dragon has completed its Rendezvous on Friday, has been deployed as
it is
located on the inside of the GNC Door now exposed and accessible for the
arm.
Dragon’s Star Trackers also underwent initial testing and no problems
were
reported. Preliminary tests of the LIDAR and thermal imager have
revealed no immediate concerns associated with either of the systems.
This was only the start of Dragon’s busy mission. A number of
activities will be completed on the first day of Dragon’s flight
including more
vehicle testing, orbit adjust burns and demonstrations. The vehicle is
set to
make a continuous burn demonstrate its Rendezvous Abort Capability.
Also, a
pulsed abort will be performed to verify that engine performance and
velocity
parameters stay within expected limits. To finish FD-1 Demonstrations,
Dragon
will disable its thrusters to perform a Free Drift Demonstration. Free
Drift is
required for the final period of Stationkeeping during which the Space
Station’s robotic arm grapples the spacecraft. While the arm is
approaching
Dragon, it cannot make engine firings that change its position and thus
will be
configured for Free Drift at that time. To set the stage for the Space
Station
Fly-Under, the vehicle will make more engine adjustments in the form of
Co-Elliptic
Burns and Height-Adjust Maneuvers. After successfully performing the
station
Flyby on Thursday, Dragon will be approved for its biggest challenge,
making a
Rendezvous with ISS and being captured for berthing and its cargo
delivery.
"There's still a thousand things that have to go right, but we are
looking
forward to this exciting mission," said Alan Lindemoyer, manager of
NASA's
Commercial Crew and Cargo Program. For a detailed illustration of the
Dragon
C2/3 Mission Profile, check out our Mission Overview.Photo Gallery: Falcon 9 Launch

Photo: NASA/SpaceX

Dragon Communication System

Image: SpaceX

Dragon in Orbit after flawless Falcon 9 Ascent

May 22, 2012

_A SpaceX
Falcon 9 Rocket with the Dragon Spacecraft lifted off from Space Launch Complex
40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, On Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at
7:44 GMT. Less than ten minutes after thundering into the dark Florida sky, the
Launch Vehicle delivered the Dragon Spacecraft to orbit to begin its Milestone
Mission to the International Space Station. After
turning the vehicle around and replacing a faulty valve that kept the launcher
grounded on Saturday, technicians resumed launch countdown operations on
Monday, local time. Work on the Falcon 9 Booster was completed while the
launcher was vertical at Launch Complex 40; no rollback was required to replace
the check valve of Engine 5 that caused the aborted countdown on Saturday. The Countdown Sequence started with the activation of the Falcon 9 Rocket and the Dragon Spacecraft seven and a half hours before the anticipated liftoff time.

Photo: NASA Kennedy

_ The complex Tanking process
started a little bit ahead of schedule at L-3 hours and 55 minutes with Liquid
Oxygen Loading. Falcon 9 was put through its nominal tanking sequence starting
with LOX Loading followed by the initiation of Helium Loading once Tanks were
chilled down by the –183-Degree Celsius Oxygen, which was then followed by
Rocket Propellant 1 Tanking. A total of 173,600 Liters of LOX were transferred
from a large spherical storage tank south-east of the Launch Pad to Falcon 9's
Propellant Tanks while 111,400 Liters of Rocket-Grade Kerosene were pumped from
cylindrical tanks on the west side of the complex into the Launcher's Tanks.
First stage propellants are loaded via the launch mount at the base of the
vehicle while second stage propellants are pumped up the Strongback Umbilical
Tower to enter the tanks. The fueling procedure concluded on time at L-2:45 and
was by the book without any technical problems.

*File Image* Photo: SpaceX

_The
countdown entered a fairly quiet sequence of Falcon 9 checkouts and data
monitoring. The Strongback Umbilical Tower was retracted to a 15-degree angle
to the launcher to move out of the launcher's way once for
blastoff. As clocks passed the T-1 Hour mark, the launch team received a
weather briefing. The 45th Weather Squadron provided their launch
forecast that showed an 80% chance of favorable weather. Weather conditions
were GREEN at that point and remained so until launch time. The launch team
went through nominal procedures to configure the vehicle and ground support
equipment for the Terminal Countdown Sequence. The final Poll came up at L-13
Minutes and all stations reported GO to enter the Terminal Countdown Sequence
at T-10 Minutes and Counting. As clocks entered the final 10 countdown minutes,
a pre-programmed sequence was initiated taking both vehicles through the final
pre-launch reconfigurations. After the Terminal Sequence was started, the nine
Merlin 1C Engines began the Chilldown Process of their turbopumps to prepare
them for ignition. At T-7 minutes, Dragon transitioned to internal power. A
short time later, Falcon 9's Flight Computers were aligned for flight and 5
minutes, 30 seconds before liftoff, the Dragon Auto Sequence began. At that
point, the Spacecraft was configured for battery charging via its two solar
arrays once in orbit. Just under 5 minutes to blastoff, Falcon 9 switched to
battery power as well. At T-3:11, the Flight Termination System was armed. This
system uses C-Band communications and would be used in the event of a major
malfunction to destroy the vehicle to prevent it from flying off-course.
Seconds later, the LOX Replenish was terminated and the second stage's Merlin
Vacuum engine went through a Thrust Vector Actuator Test to make sure it was
ready to steer the vehicle properly. The TEA-TEB
(Triethylaluminum-Triethylborane) Ignition System for the first stage Merlins
was armed at T-3 minutes. Two and a half minute before launch, a final status
check was performed by the Launch Conductor and the Range made a final
verification as well and reported range clear for launch at T-2 minutes. During
the final two minutes of the countdown, the Helium Feed was terminated. Heated
Helium is used to keep the tanks at flight pressure during powered ascent. One
minute prior to launch, the flight computer started up and took control of the
countdown.

_ Also, the launch pad's water system began dumping thousands of
kilograms of water beneath the first stage engines to dampen acoustic loads
during ignition. At T-50 seconds, the first stage engines completed their final
Thrust Vector Actuator Test before Propellant Tank Pressurization started 10
seconds later. At T-3 Seconds, the nine Merlin Main Engines soared to life with
their turbopumps spinning up to flight speed and all nine engines reaching the
full thrust level. All nine Merlin Engines were monitored for a brief moment
and unlike during Saturday’s Ignition Sequence, all engines were showing normal
parameters. The Launch Pad’s Hold-Down System let go off the rocket. With a
Thrust-To-Weight Ratio of just over 1.2 at liftoff, the Falcon 9 gently lifted off
and lit up the night skies of the Florida Space Coast as it thundered uphill on
its way to orbit. Passing Mach 1, the launch vehicle encountered Maximum
Dynamic Pressure at T+1 minute and 24 seconds. All nine Merlin Engines
continued to work as expected as the vehicle climbed out of the atmosphere.
Three minutes after blasting off, engine shutdown occurred and the first stage
separated five seconds later. A short time after that, the Merlin Vacuum Engine
ignited on a 6-minute and 2-second Upper Stage Burn. Merlin Vacuum features a
modified nozzle to increase the engine’s vacuum performance. The second stage
completed its burn as expected. After shutting down, the Falcon 9 successfully
released the Dragon Spacecraft to Low Earth Orbit 9 minutes and 49 seconds into
the flight – sending the Dragon on its way to the International Space Station
beginning a milestone mission for NASA and SpaceX.

_Just 2
minutes after separating from the launch vehicle, Dragon initiated its Solar
Array Opening Sequence. SpaceX Mission Controllers inside the Control Center in
Hawthorne, California, confirmed that the deployment of the vehicle’s two solar
arrays was successful and that power generation and battery charging was
nominal. That completed a successful orbital insertion process that was
flawless from start to finish. On tap for Dragon and the SpaceX Team are now
the first of numerous demonstrations and milestones that have to be completed
before Dragon can attempt a Rendezvous with the Space Station. The first of
those will come less than one hour after blastoff with the demonstration of
Dragon’s Absolute GPS System. Also coming up on flight day 1 is the Deployment
of the Navigation Instruments by opening the GNC Bay Door of Dragon, the
Relative Navigation Sensor Checkout and two Rendezvous Abort Demonstrations.
All details on Dragon’s Mission and the on-orbit demonstrations can be found
here.
With its test flight now underway, Dragon will have to
overcome several challenges before becoming the first commercial spacecraft to
deliver cargo to the International Space Station. Dragon has flown once before, however, the
Dragon of this mission is a completely different version featuring equipment
that is making its first space flight. “This Dragon is going to be the
first spacecraft that SpaceX has developed with a heat rejection and power
generation system. That means it's the first time you will see the spacecraft
deploy its solar arrays in order to generate power," noted Alan
Lindenmoyer, NASA Commercial Crew and Cargo Manager. With its solar arrays now
fully deployed, Dragon has passed its first challenge. A new flight computer system which provides
full redundancy is being flown on this mission to meet the high safety
standards of the Space Station. The Flight computer makes all decisions during
Dragon’s Flight and responds to inputs from Mission Control or from the Crew
aboard ISS. "Dragon is autonomous, it's a robotic spaceship and it's going
to go and do this complicated maneuver where it's going to work with the space
station. It's not as though there were somebody flying it with a
joystick or there is somebody on board who can make realtime corrections.
Dragon is making lots of decisions all the time to optimize the probability of
success. There's a lot of intelligence on board the spacecraft,” said Elon
Musk, SpaceX founder and Chief Designer, when describing the mission that is
now just getting started after successfully taking the first step to orbit.

Photo: SpaceX

Photo: SpaceX

_The navigation sensor systems Dragon
use and the Common Berthing Mechanism are both flight-proven components, but
have never been tested on a Dragon vehicle in space before. In addition to
that, Dragon is flying with a completely new software that is required for
Rendezvous and docking. Countless simulations and reviews of that software have
taken place before the flight, but the real test will come when Dragon makes
its approach to the Space Station in the real Space-Environment. Also new on
this flight is that Dragon will be separated from the second stage with its
trunk section that includes the solar arrays and external cargo stowage
positions which are not being utilized during this flight. The trunk will be
jettisoned just before re-entry. It will also be an endurance test for the
Spacecraft that completed its previous flight in 2010 making only two orbits of
Earth before landing. Dragon C2/3 has a planned duration of about 10 Days.
"This is a fairly challenging mission, putting all those objectives
together," said Mike Horkachuck, SpaceX project executive for NASA,
"But we've done a lot of work with SpaceX and our mission ops teams are both
coordinating very well and we believe we've got a good chance of meeting all
those objectives with this flight." The basic flight-timeline was not
changed in the wake of the recent launch delay and Dragon is still looking at
an End of Mission Date of May 31. To accmmodate the delayed launch, teams have
shortened the duration of the docked mission. For more information about the
Dragon, refer to our Spacecraft information site.

SpaceX is
holding a $1.6-billion contract with NASA under the Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services Program to launch at least 12 Space Station Resupply
Missions following the Dragon Demonstration Missions. Initially, three test
flights were planned, but COTS 2 and 3 were combined and the third flight would
be skipped should all objectives be met on the combined mission. The test
flights are valued at up to $396 million. Should this flight accomplish all
goals set by SpaceX and NASA, the third Flight will be upgraded from a test
flight to a regular resupply mission designated CRS-1.

Launch Video

SpaceX gearing up for next Launch Attempt

May 21, 2012

Photo: NASA Kennedy

_SpaceX is gearing up for its next attempt to launch a Falcon 9 Rocket with the Dragon Spacecraft to get the Dragon C2/3 Mission to the International Space Station started. After Saturday’s last second Countdown Abort that was caused by a high pressure reading inside the Combustion Chamber of Merlin Engine 5 on the first stage. Technicians tied the problem to a faulty check valve inside the engine. The component was replaced and data reviews were performed to confirm that the issue has been resolved. SpaceX announced that they are targeting a launch time of 7:44:38 GMT on Tuesday, May 22. As with Saturday's aborted countdown, the Launch Team has to get the Rocket off the pad at the precise launch time as there is only an instantaneous launch window. This requires the Launch Team to finally break a streak of last-minute aborts. There has never been a clean Terminal Count for Falcon 9 on the first try for either a launch attempt or an static fire test. During tomorrows Terminal Countdown Sequence, Computers will be watching all vehicle parameters and trigger an abort should one become off-nominal.

_Any unexpected holds inside the final ten minutes of the countdown will lead to an automatic launch scrub for the day. Before the Terminal Countdown Sequence begins, Falcon 9 and Dragon
will have to go through their nominal Countdown Procedure starting with
power-up of both vehicles 7 hours and 30 minutes before liftoff. A
series of checks will follow to make sure Falcon 9 and the Dragon are
ready for flight. These tests include communication checks, testing of
the Flight Termination System and nominal Ground Support Equipment
validations. The complex tanking process will get underway at T-3:50
with Liquid Oxygen loading into both, the first and second stage. A
total of 173,600 Liters of LOX will be transferred from spherical tanks
south-east of the launch pad to Falcon's propellant tanks. Coming out of
cylindrical tanks west of LC-40, 111,400 Liters of Rocket Propellant 1
will start flowing into the first and second stage 10 minutes after LOX
Loading started. As LOX boils off inside the tanks, Falcon 9 will start
venting gaseous Oxygen starting to become 'alive' as its stands poised
for launch 55 meters tall into the Florida Sky. At T-3:15, the Tanking
process will finish and LOX Loading will enter stable replenish. The
Strongback Tower will move away from the vehicle to a 15-degree angle to
move out of the launcher's way once it blasts off. Final checkouts of
the Falcon 9 and Dragon will commence to clear the way for the Terminal
Countdown Sequence. At T-13 minutes, the Launch Team and Dragon Mission
Control Team will be polled to get a GO/No GO decision for Terminal
Count and Launch.

Photo: NASA Kennedy

_ As clocks enter the final 10 countdown minutes, a
pre-programmed sequence is initiated taking both vehicles through the
final pre-launch reconfigurations. After the Terminal Sequence is
initiated, the nine Merlin 1C Engines will start the Chilldown Process
of their turbopumps to prepare them for ignition. At T-7 minutes, Dragon
begins its transition to internal power. A short time later, Falcon 9's
Flight Computers are aligned for flight and 5 minutes, 30 seconds
before liftoff, the Dragon Auto Sequence begins. At that point, the
Spacecraft will be configured for battery charging via its two solar
arrays once in orbit. Just under 5 minutes to blastoff, Falcon 9 will
switch to battery power a well. At T-3:11, the Flight Termination System
is armed. This system uses C-Band communications and would be used in
the event of a major malfunction to destroy the vehicle. Seconds later,
the LOX Replenish will be terminated and the second stage's Merlin
Vacuum engine will be going through a Thrust Vector Actuator Test to
make sure it is ready to steer the vehicle properly. The TEA-TEB
(Triethylaluminum-Triethylborane) Ignition System for the first stage
Merlins will be armed. Two and a half minute before launch, a final
status check will be performed by the Launch Conductor and the Range
will make a final verification as well and report range clear for launch
at T-2 minutes. During the final two minutes of the countdown, the
Helium Feed will be terminated. Heated Helium is used to keep the tanks
at flight pressure during powered ascent. One minute prior to launch,
the flight computer will start-up and take control of the countdown.
Also, the launch pad's water system will start dumping thousands of
kilograms of water beneath the first stage engines to dampen acoustic
loads during ignition. At T-50 seconds, the first stage engines will
make their final Thrust Vector Actuator Test before Propellant Tank
Pressurization starts 10 seconds later. Three seconds before liftoff,
the nine Merlin engines will soar to life as turbopumps spin up to full
speed. Once reaching liftoff thrust, the engines will be monitored for a
short moment before the hold-down system allows the Falcon 9 to blast
off on this milestone mission for SpaceX and NASA. A detailed ascent
overview and information on the rest of the flight can be found here.

SpaceX to replace Engine Valve and conduct Data Reviews

May 20, 2012

Photo: Steve Jurvetson

SpaceX has found the root cause of the problem that caused the abort in Saturday's Falcon 9 Countdown Sequence. On-Board Computers of the Launch Vehicle had triggered an abort after detecting high pressure levels inside the combustion chamber of Merlin Engine #5 just half a second before blastoff would have occurred keeping the Dragn C2/3 Mission on the ground for at least three additional days.After completing vehicle safing and draining all propellants, SpaceX technicians accessed the engine and conducted borescope inspections. "During rigorous inspections of the engine, SpaceX engineers discovered a faulty check valve on the Merlin engine. We are now in the process of replacing the failed valve," SpaceX said in a statement. The fuel check valve is one of many valves that all need to function for a proper combustion process inside the engine. The purpose of a check valve is to allow fuel to flow into one direction only and prevent it or combustion gases from flowing into the reverse direction which could cause malfunction leading to the loss of the vehicle. Typical check valves use a spring system to keep the seat closed. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell noted at a press briefing that the engine started showing high pressures due to an increased combustion temperature which was most likely caused by an oxygen-rich combustion process. A problem with the check valve could have restricted the fuel feed to the engine leading to the symptoms it showed during the ignition sequence. Technicians are replacing the check valve of the center engine of the Falcon 9 and are conducting tests of the system on Sunday.

Data reviews will be performed to verify that the check valve was the only problem that caused the abort. "If things look good, we will be ready to attempt to launch on Tuesday," SpaceX said. For a launch attempt on Tuesday, T-0 would be at 7:44:38 GMT. A backup opportunity is available on Wednesday, May 23 due to favorable ISS trajectories. SpaceX will work with the Eastern Range to reserve the launch slot should it still be open.

Last-Second Abort keeps Falcon 9 and Dragon Grounded

May 19, 2012

The long-awaited SpaceX Dragon C2/3 Demonstration Mission that had already suffered several months of postponements will stay grounded for at least three additional days as Launch had to be delayed on Saturday due to a last-second abort of the Countdown during the Ignition Sequence of the nine First Stage Engines.Final Launch Preparations began with the nightly Rollout of the Falcon 9 Launch vehicle in the overnight hours on Thursday, local time. Arriving at Space Launch Complex 40, the Falcon 9 was placed in its vertical launch position and data, electrical and propellant line connections were made to prepare for countdown procedures. After securing the vehicle to the pad, operations on Friday were dedicated to final checks of the system. Late on Friday, the Countdown Sequence started with the activation of the Rocket and the Dragon Spacecraft on top of it seven and a half hours before the anticipated liftoff time. The complex Tanking process started a little bit ahead of schedule at L-3 hours and 55 minutes with Liquid Oxygen Loading. A total of 173,600 Liters of LOX were transferred from a large spherical storage tank south-east of the Launch Pad to Falcon 9's Propellant Tanks. Rocket Propellant 1 Loading started 15 minutes after LOX Tanking was initiated. A total of 111,400 Liters of Rocket-Grade Kerosene were pumped from cylindrical tanks on the west side of the complex into the Launcher's Tanks. First stage propellants are loaded via the launch mount at the base of the vehicle while second stage propellants are pumped up the Strongback Umbilical Tower to enter the tanks. The fueling procedure concluded on time at L-2:50 and was completed without any problems. As clocks continued to tick down, a series of extensive Launch Vehicle Checks got underway to ensure both vehicles were in readiness for the flight. The Strongback Umbilical Tower was retracted to a 15-degree angle to the launcher to move out of the launcher's way for blastoff. The final Poll came up at L-13 Minutes and all stations reported GO to enter the Terminal Countdown Sequence at T-10 Minutes and Counting. As clocks entered the final 10 countdown minutes, a pre-programmed sequence was initiated taking both vehicles through the final pre-launch reconfigurations.

Photo: NASA Kennedy

Source: SpaceX

Photo: SpaceX

Photo: SpaceX

After the Terminal Sequence was started, the nine Merlin 1C Engines began the Chilldown Process of their turbopumps to prepare them for ignition. At T-7 minutes, Dragon transitioned to internal power. A short time later, Falcon 9's Flight Computers were aligned for flight and 5 minutes, 30 seconds before liftoff, the Dragon Auto Sequence began. At that point, the Spacecraft was configured for battery charging via its two solar arrays once in orbit. Just under 5 minutes to the planned blastoff, Falcon 9 switched to battery power as well. At T-3:11, the Flight Termination System was armed. This system uses C-Band communications and would be used in the event of a major malfunction to destroy the vehicle. Seconds later, the LOX Replenish was terminated and the second stage's Merlin Vacuum engine went through a Thrust Vector Actuator Test to make sure it was ready to steer the vehicle properly. The TEA-TEB (Triethylaluminum-Triethylborane) Ignition System for the first stage Merlins was armed at T-3 minutes. Two and a half minute before launch, a final status check was performed by the Launch Conductor and the Range made a final verification as well and reported range clear for launch at T-2 minutes. During the final two minutes of the countdown, the Helium Feed was terminated. Heated Helium is used to keep the tanks at flight pressure during powered ascent. One minute prior to launch, the flight computer started up and took control of the countdown. Also, the launch pad's water system began dumping thousands of kilograms of water beneath the first stage engines to dampen acoustic loads during ignition. At T-50 seconds, the first stage engines completed their final Thrust Vector Actuator Test before Propellant Tank Pressurization started 10 seconds later. At T-3 Seconds, the nine Merlin 1C Engines of the first stage soared to life as turbopumps started spinning up to full speed. Just half a second before committing to liftoff, Falcon's computers triggered an abort of the sequence as an off-nominal parameter was detected. The chamber pressure of Engine 5 - the center engine of the first stage - was elevated and exceeding red-line limits. As soon as computers detect a violation of these limits, an immediate abort is initiated. Shortly after aborting the sequence, the SpaceX Launch Team started vehicle safing procedures. The pressure elevation was just slightly above nominal limits and SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted after the scrub based on initial data that it was suspected to be a Red-Line Violation due to overly restrictive limits without a hardware problem being present. After looking into vehicle telemetry it was determined that this was likely not an instrumentation or software problem. At the post-scrub news briefing, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell explained that all engines went through nominal ignition with the exception of engine five that started 'trending high' - meaning that its chamber pressure started to become higher than allowed immediately following ignition. The Engine was also 'out of family' with the static fire during which it performed nominally and showed a solid ignition performance. High Chamber Pressure can be caused by low fuel levels inside the combustion chamber. Teams verified that the pre-valve of engine five was opened as expected. SpaceX will conduct thorough data reviews and perform an inspection of the faulty Merlin Engine. For that, the engine's chamber will be visually inspected and its turbopump will undergo borescope inspections. When all assessments are complete, SpaceX will decide its next step. In a worst-case-scenario, the Engine would be removed and replaced with another engine from the other Falcon 9 Rocket that is already at the Cape. Merlin engines have a dry weight of 630 Kilograms and provide 556 Kilonewtons of thrust at sea level. The engines operate at a nominal chamber pressure of 982psi.There has never been a clean Terminal Count for Falcon 9 on the first try for either a launch attempt or a static fire test during all previous Falcon 9 Countdowns. This was no different on Saturday as Flight Computers triggered an abort of the sequence 0.5 seconds prior to liftoff. The mission has an instantaneous launch window every three days because of the high propellant requirements this flight has. Having extra-propellant aboard the Dragon could allow teams to repeat on-orbit maneuvers if needed and provides more than one opportunity to try and rendezvous with the Space Station.The next opportunity to get Falcon 9 off the ground is on May 22 at 7:44 GMT. Should additional time be required for repairs, an additional launch opportunity on May 23 is available due to favorable Space Station Trajectories. T-0 on the 23rd would be 7:22 GMT, but the eastern range has not been reserved for that date yet and coordinations will have to be made with the US Air Force to allow a launch attempt to take place.

Countdown Abort Video

The first Challenge is getting off the Pad - A Countdown Overview

May 18, 2012

Space Exploration Technologies - or SpaceX - is on the verge of beginning a Milestone Mission in Space Flight History flying the first Commercial Spacecraft to the International Space Station. A Falcon 9 Rocket is set for Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, at 8:55:18 GMT on Saturday, May 17 to deliver the Dragon Spacecraft to orbit just over 9 minutes later at which point it would start its test flight under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program (COTS). Expectations are high for this mission that holds the potential of becoming a milestone in Space Flight as Dragon could be the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the Space Station after performing a Rendezvous in space - a craft that only a handful of nations have mastered. But all this is not a given since numerous requirements have to be completed by the Dragon once in Orbit. With the ride atop the relatively new Falcon 9 being only the first of many large obstacles, SpaceX founder Elon Musk has lowered expectations for the mission.

Photo: NASA Kennedy

"It's hard. I think we've got a pretty good chance, but I want to emphasize that this is a test flight. If we don't succeed in berthing on this mission then we've got a couple of more missions later this year and I think we'll succeed on one of those," he said in a Mission Overview Briefing in April. This flight will be one of many challenges. The first of these will be getting Falcon 9 off the Launch Pad on Saturday. SpaceX only has a one-second window to launch its Rocket in order to reach ISS with as much propellant reserve as possible. Having extra-propellant aboard the Dragon could allow teams to repeat on-orbit maneuvers if needed and provides more than opportunity to try and rendezvous with the Space Station. But having an instantaneous launch window also means that there can be no unexpected countdown hold in the Terminal Countdown Sequence starting 10 minutes before Liftoff as recovering from a hold would cost the Launch Team at least 15 minutes taking them out of the day's window. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell noted, " I don't believe we've hit a T-0 yet, on our first attempt." In fact, there has never been a clean Terminal Count for Falcon 9 on the first try for either a launch attempt or an static fire test. For the most recent static fire, an improperly set value for the Second Stage Engine position during the final minute of the countdown caused clocks to be stopped. For the 2010 COTS1 Flight, SpaceX experienced several aborts in their automated sequence due to problems with one of the nine Merlin 1C Engines on the first stage. To get the first Falcon 9 flying, SpaceX also needed several attempts to make the static fire and the actual launch due to engine parameter issues and other problems. During tomorrows Terminal Countdown Sequence, Computers will be watching all vehicle parameters and trigger an abort should one become off-nominal. In that scenario, teams would have to re-schedule the launch for May 22. At Friday's Pre-Launch News Conference, Shotwell gave a '50/50 Chance' of making a clean Terminal Count and getting the vehicle off the Pad.

Before the Terminal Countdown Sequence begins, Falcon 9 and Dragon will have to go through their nominal Countdown Procedure starting with power-up of both vehicles 7 hours and 30 minutes before liftoff. A series of checks will follow to make sure Falcon 9 and the Dragon are ready for flight. These tests include communication checks, testing of the Flight Termination System and nominal Ground Support Equipment validations. The complex tanking process will get underway at T-3:50 with Liquid Oxygen loading into both, the first and second stage. A total of 173,600 Liters of LOX will be transferred from spherical tanks south-east of the launch pad to Falcon's propellant tanks. Coming out of cylindrical tanks west of LC-40, 111,400 Liters of Rocket Propellant 1 will start flowing into the first and second stage 10 minutes after LOX Loading started. As LOX boils off inside the tanks, Falcon 9 will start venting gaseous Oxygen starting to become 'alive' as its stands poised for launch 55 meters tall into the Florida Sky. At T-3:15, the Tanking process will finish and LOX Loading will enter stable replenish. The Strongback Tower will move away from the vehicle to a 15-degree angle to move out of the launcher's way once it blasts off. Final checkouts of the Falcon 9 and Dragon will commence to clear the way for the Terminal Countdown Sequence. At T-13 minutes, the Launch Team and Dragon Mission Control Team will be polled to get a GO/No GO decision for Terminal Count and Launch. As clocks enter the final 10 countdown minutes, a pre-programmed sequence is initiated taking both vehicles through the final pre-launch reconfigurations. After the Terminal Sequence is initiated, the nine Merlin 1C Engines will start the Chilldown Process of their turbopumps to prepare them for ignition.

Photo: SpaceX

At T-7 minutes, Dragon begins its transition to internal power. A short time later, Falcon 9's Flight Computers are aligned for flight and 5 minutes, 30 seconds before liftoff, the Dragon Auto Sequence begins. At that point, the Spacecraft will be configured for battery charging via its two solar arrays once in orbit. Just under 5 minutes to blastoff, Falcon 9 will switch to battery power a well. At T-3:11, the Flight Termination System is armed. This system uses C-Band communications and would be used in the event of a major malfunction to destroy the vehicle. Seconds later, the LOX Replenish will be terminated and the second stage's Merlin Vacuum engine will be going through a Thrust Vector Actuator Test to make sure it is ready to steer the vehicle properly. The TEA-TEB (Triethylaluminum-Triethylborane) Ignition System for the first stage Merlins will be armed. Two and a half minute before launch, a final status check will be performed by the Launch Conductor and the Range will make a final verification as well and report range clear for launch at T-2 minutes. During the final two minutes of the countdown, the Helium Feed will be terminated. Heated Helium is used to keep the tanks at flight pressure during powered ascent. One minute prior to launch, the flight computer will start-up and take control of the countdown. Also, the launch pad's water system will start dumping thousands of kilograms of water beneath the first stage engines to dampen acoustic loads during ignition. At T-50 seconds, the first stage engines will make their final Thrust Vector Actuator Test before Propellant Tank Pressurization starts 10 seconds later. Three seconds before liftoff, the nine Merlin engines will soar to life as turbopumps spin up to full speed. Once reaching liftoff thrust, the engines will be monitored for a short moment before the hold-down system allows the Falcon 9 to blast off on this milestone mission for SpaceX and NASA. A detailed ascent overview and information on the rest of the flight can be found here.

Falcon 9 rolled to Launch Pad, Final Readiness Review complete

May 18, 2012

SpaceX has held the Dragon C2/3 Launch Readiness Review on Thursday and approved the Dragon Spacecraft and its Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle for flight. This decision followed an earlier review conducted by NASA that concluded without any open items.As part of Thursday's Flight Readiness Review, all of Dragon's and Falcon's Systems were reviewed. Ground Support Systems and communication assets were also discussed before Mission Managers were polled to give a GO/No GO decision for Countdown Operations. Officials unanimously decided to press into final launch operations. On May 15, NASA conducted an additional Flight Readiness Review after all outstanding work on the Dragon Spacecraft Software was completed. SpaceX reported that Dragon was ready for the mission and ISS Program Managers approved the recent software adjustments clearing the way for launch. With all reviews now complete, the mission is finally ready for launch after months of delays due to flight software testing and adjustments concerned with the Dragon vehicle's rendezvous and approach.

Photo: NASA Kennedy

The Falcon 9 Rocket with the Dragon Spacecraft installed on top of it has been rolled out of the hangar at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and has been moved to Space Launch Complex 40 overnight. A transporter-erector device was used to move the rocket to the Launch Site and hydraulic pistons are used to lift the rocket to a vertical launch position. Later, electrical and propellant umbilicals are connected to Launch Pad Structures to finish preparations for the countdown operations starting 7 hours and 30 minutes before liftoff. The 45th Weather Squadron has issued a weather forecast for Saturday's Launch Opportunity giving a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions for the instantaneous launch target. The primary concern are violations of the Cumulus Cloud Rule that prevents the vehicle from launching within 19 Kilometers of cumulus clouds with tops that extend into freezing temperatures. The forecast shows one layer of cumulus clouds extending from 700 to 1800 meters. "Persistent onshore flow from the east favors a chance of light rain showers, generally in the morning hours, but lightning is rare in this weather regime." In the event of a launch delay, Cumulus Clouds remain to be the primary concern.

Dragon C2/3 now targeting a May 19 Launch

May 5, 2012

Photo: SpaceX

SpaceX and NASA have announced a new launch date for the Dragon C2/3 Mission to the International Space Station in the wake of the latest in a series of launch delays. The new 'No Earlier Than' or NET Launch Date is May 19, 2012 with an instantaneous launch opportunity at 8:55 GMT or 4:55am local time making this a Night Launch of the Falcon 9 Rocket. May 22 serves as backup launch slot should any problems occur during the May 19 Launch Countdown. This places Dragon's launch inside a tight window that extends through the end of May. Dragon can only make launch attempts every three days due to propellant limitations. This mission puts a high propellant load on the spacecraft that has to make extensive on-orbit maneuvers to meet all of its demonstration requirements needed for clearance to rendezvous with the station. Late in May, Dragon's launch window closes once again because an ISS Solar Beta Angle Cutout would be coming up early in June extending from the 3rd through 13th. During that period, ISS Visiting Vehicle Traffic (free flight and rendezvous/docking) is prohibited due to the unfavorable sun angle. After the Beta Cutout, SpaceX would run into Range Conflicts on the Space Coast as an Atlas V Rocket with the NROL-38 US National Reconnaissance Office Spacecraft awaits its launch on June 18 - leaving only one open launch slot in mid-June. After the Atlas V, a Delta IV Rocket is on the eastern Range which would prevent SpaceX from having more than one opportunity in late June. For July, other ISS visiting vehicle traffic would make it hard for Dragon to find a spot in the busy international schedule related to ISS traffic that includes Soyuz TMA-03M undocking, Soyuz TMA-05M launch and docking and H-II Transfer Vehicle 3 free flight and docking as well as Progress M-15M Operations - leaving virtually no chance for another mission going up to ISS in July. The May 19 and 22 options are the most favorable launch targets SpaceX has for several weeks - assuming that all the other dates can be kept as Space Flight is one of the more dynamic businesses.The cause of the latest launch delay was the Dragon Software Assurance process going on between SpaceX and NASA. SpaceX had been working with NASA on Software reviews to ensure the highest safety standard for the International Space Station.

A recent software modification requires additional verification leading to this launch delay. SpaceX engineers have been working through In-The-Loop Testing to verify that the Flight Software issues correct commands which are then executed properly by the Spacecraft’s Hardware. Particularly, Flight Computer Software for the Rendezvous Sequence is currently under review. Dragon will make a fully automated approach to the Space Station during which the Flight Control Computers will make all decisions. In case the system detects a problem or off-nominal parameter, Dragon is commanded to either continue the Rendezvous, stop its approach and initiate stationkeeping, retreat to a pre-determined position or abort the sequence and fly away from the Station. Engineers have been cautious as the software initiated a series of false aborts because parameter limits were configured in a conservative fashion to ensure that the approach would be halted when a malfunction occurs. However, it turned out that Dragon would make aborts when there is no actual problem present. SpaceX had been working to resolve these false commands and ensure that an abort will only be called when necessary. The process of adjusting the Flight Software was finished in early April, but NASA wanted to verify these modifications that were made to the software, so that engineers required additional time for these operations. "Thus far, no issues have been uncovered during this process, but with a mission of this complexity we want to be extremely diligent," a SpaceX statement said. NASA and SpaceX are confident that software assurance would conclude in time so that Dragon can be sent on its way on May 19. William Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA noted in a statement: "After additional reviews and discussions between the SpaceX and NASA teams, we are in a position to proceed toward this important launch. The teamwork provided by these teams is phenomenal. There are a few remaining open items but we are ready to support SpaceX for its new launch date of May 19." For a May 19 Launch, the Flight Day 3 ISS Fly-Under would be on May 21. Should all demonstrations be completed successfully, Dragon would be allowed to re-rendezvous on the 22nd for Capture and Berthing. On Flight Day 5, hatches between ISS and Dragon would be opened to start cargo operations. Dragon release would occur at around June 5 with Re-Entry and splashdown shortly thereafter.

Falcon 9 Launch delayed again as Spacecraft Reviews continue

May 2, 2012

_Following a
series of Launch Delays, the Dragon C2/3 mission will slip again as engineers
need more time to complete outstanding work with Spacecraft Software that is
needed for Dragon’s Rendezvous with the International Space Station. On Tuesday,
SpaceX founder and Chief Technical Officer Elon Musk held a teleconference with
Bill Gerstenmaier, Director of Space Operations at NASA, and Mike Suffredini,
ISS Program Manager, to discuss Monday’s Static Engine Test Fire and the
company’s progress on Software Testing. SpaceX teams decided that more time is
required for In-The-Loop testing of Dragon’s software leading to another launch
delay. Launch was set for May 7 with a backup opportunity on the 10th.
SpaceX has not announced a new launch date following the most recent delay. For
this flight, the Falcon 9 has an instantaneous launch opportunity every three
days due to propellant limitations. Also, SpaceX has to stand down until the
Soyuz TMA-04M Spacecraft has docked with the Space Station – delivering the
three Expedition 31/32 Crew Members to the complex.

Photo: NASA Kennedy

_Launch from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, is set for May 15 with docking occurring after two days
of free flight – making May 19 the earliest launch slot. NASA Managers would
prefer to postpone the flight until after TMA-04M Rendezvous and docking so
that Dragon can make more than one Rendezvous attempt should any problems arise
during the flight. Also, data reviews of the ISS Flyby planned for Flight Day 3
may take more than 24 hours to complete, so that Dragon would have to wait in
Orbit at a safe distance to the station. SpaceX had
been working with NASA on Software reviews to ensure the highest safety
standard for the International Space Station. A recent software modification
requires additional verification leading to this launch delay. SpaceX engineers
are working through In-The-Loop Testing to verify that the Flight Software
issues correct commands which are then executed properly by the Spacecraft’s
Hardware. Particularly, Flight Computer Software for the Rendezvous Sequence is
currently under review. Dragon will make a fully automated approach to the
Space Station during which the Flight Control Computers will make all
decisions. In case the system detects a problem or off-nominal parameter,
Dragon is commanded to either continue the Rendezvous, stop its approach and
initiate stationkeeping, retreat to a pre-determined position or abort the
sequence and fly away from the Station. Engineers have been cautious as the
software initiated a series of false aborts because parameter limits were
configured in a conservative fashion to ensure that the approach would be
halted when a malfunction occurs. However, it turned out that Dragon would make
aborts when there is no actual problem present. SpaceX has been working to
resolve these false commands and ensure that an abort will only be called when
necessary. When final verifications are complete, Dragon will be cleared for
launch.Monday’s Falcon 9 Static Fire of its nine Merlin 1C
Engines is also still being reviewed. Initial data assessments have not brought
up any off-nominal events during the short engine burn with all nine engines
reaching Flight Thrust for two seconds.

Falcon 9 completes Static Fire Test ahead of Dragon C2/3 Launch

April 30, 2012

Photo: NASA Kennedy

_In Preparation for the Dragon C2/3 Mission to the International Space Station, the SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle conducted a static fire of its nine Merlin 1C First Stage Engines on Monday. To prepare for this final pre-launch countdown simulation, the Falcon 9 Launcher was rolled to the Launch Pad at Space Launch Complex 40 on Sunday. A transporter-erector device was used to transport the rocket to the Launch Site and hydraulic pistons lifted the rocket to a vertical launch position. Later, electrical and propellant umbilicals were connected to Launch Pad Structures to finish preparations for the countdown rehearsal and static fire.On Monday, the Rocket and the Launch Team underwent a full countdown rehearsal which includes vehicle fueling and normal countdown operations. Both stages of the Falcon Rocket are being loaded with Liquid Oxygen and Rocket Propellant 1 as part of the simulation starting at T-2 Hours and 35 Minutes. As countdown clocks ticked towards the pretend T-0 Time of 19:00 GMT, the final vehicle configurations were made during the automated sequence starting at T-10 Minutes and Counting. These final steps include tank pressurization as well as transferring the Launcher to internal power. At T-47 seconds, while the Vehicle was performing a Steering Check of its engines, the Countdown Sequence was aborted and clocks stopped at T-47 Seconds. The Launch Team immediately started safing and recycle operations to put the Falcon 9 and Dragon back in a stable configuration. After recycle procedures, engineers started a thorough data review to understand the cause of the abort. They were assessing the Engine Position of the Merlin Vacuum Engine on the Second Stage as a Redline Limit Violation triggered Flight Computers to abort the sequence. It was determined that this particular limit was too restrictive. This improperly set limit was adjusted by the Launch Team after a thorough data review to make sure that there was no hardware issue on the Launch Vehicle. When all parameters were verified, the teams re-started the countdown at T-13 Minutes after the Launch Director conducted the final GO/No GO Poll. This time, the Terminal Countdown Sequence was normal as clocks entered the final seconds of the countdown.

_Nominal
Engine Ignition was commanded by Flight Computers at 20:15 GMT and the
nine Merlin 1C engines on the First Stage soared to life as turbopumps
started spinning up to flight speed. Once all engines reached Liftoff
Thrust, they were allowed to burn for 2 seconds before Cutoff. For a
brief moment, fire and smoke erupted around the base of the Launch Pad
as the engines went through their short burn. During the engine firing,
the Launch Pad’s Hold-Down-System was used to restrain the powerful
launcher from lifting off. After engine stop at T+3 Seconds, teams
practiced recycle and safing steps that might be needed in case of a
last-minute abort of the sequence on Launch Day. SpaceX reported that
the test was nominal and that required data was obtained. After the test
sequence was complete and the Vehicle was placed in a stable
configuration, the propellants are being drained to end the simulation. Data
acquired during Countdown, Fueling and Static Fire will be analyzed by
SpaceX Engineers to give a final GO for launch. The problem that
occurred today will be assessed as well to determine a new configuration
for Redline Limits on the Merlin Vacuum Engine. Should a similar problem arise during the actual launch countdown causing clocks to be stopped, the flight would have to be postponed to the next launch attempt. For Dragon C2/3 there is an instantaneous launch opportunity every three days due to Dragon Propellant Limitations. Launch is currently set
for May 7 at 13:38 GMT, however, the final decision whether to press
into Countdown Operations will be made after the final SpaceX Launch
Readiness Review that is currently set for May 5. A backup launch slot
is available on May 10.

Hardware Preparations on Track, Engine Hotfire coming up

April 27, 2012

While SpaceX is still working on final adjustments of Dragon's flight Software ahead of the C2/3 Mission to the International Space Station, nominal Pre-Launch Preparations of the Flight Hardware are continuing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.Over the course of this week, the Dragon Capsule was readied for flight. Technicians loaded Hypergolic Propellants into its Tanks on Tuesday. These propellants will be used by Dragon's Propulsion System to conduct orbit adjustments and vehicle re-orientations. Propellant loading is conducted as part of hazardous processing requiring high safety standards as the 18 Draco Engines on the Spacecraft use toxic Monomethylhydrazine and Nitrogen Tetroxide as propellants. A full overview of the Dragon Spacecraft is available here. On Wednesday, after hazardous processing was complete, the Dragon Capsule was rotated to set the stage for payload integration. On Thursday, April 26, the Dragon Spacecraft was installed on the Falcon 9 Rocket's second stage. Technicians attached the Dragon with its Trunk to the Launcher, made electrical and data connections and set up the separation mechanism. On Friday, the aerodynamic nose cone was planned to be installed over the vehicle's Docking System. Final integrated tests will be wrapped up on Saturday to ensure all connections and communication ways are in place. On Sunday, the Falcon 9 Rocket is set to be rolled to Space Launch Complex 40 where it will be put in its erect launch position for the static fire test on Monday, April 30.The Launcher and the SpaceX Launch Team will go through a full-duration countdown rehearsal that includes activating all systems and filling Falcon's Tanks with propellants, Liquid oxygen and Rocket Propellant 1. As the countdown approaches its T-0 pretend launch time currently set for 19:00 GMT, all vehicle configurations will be made just like during actual launch countdown. As part of nominal procedures, Falcon 9 will ignite its nine Merlin 1C Engines on the first stage. All engines will go through start-up and run at Flight Speed for two seconds before a Cutoff is initiated. Afterwards, technicians and the launcher will perform abort and safing procedures. The propellants will be drained and a thorough review will begin to assess the countdown simulation and static fire test. Launch is currently set for May 7, 2012 at 13:38 GMT with May 10 as backup launch slot. On May 5, SpaceX will hold its final launch readiness review during which the exact launch date will be determined.

Dragon Mission to ISS slips to May

April 24, 2012

Image: SpaceX

_ The first
Commercial Mission to the International Space Station, Dragon C2/3 will be
delayed until at least May 7, SpaceX said in a statement. This delay will give engineers
more time to conduct Dragon Software reviews that have been underway for
several months as SpaceX is closely working with NASA to ensure the highest
level of safety for the Mission’s Procedures.SpaceX
conducted its Falcon 9 Flight Readiness review on Sunday evaluating all of the
Launch Vehicle’s Systems and determining that the Falcon Rocket is ready for
its Mission. Falcon 9 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station to deliver the Dragon Spacecraft to Orbit to start
its three-week mission to Rendezvous with ISS and potentially be captured by
the Space Station’s Robotic Arm. On Monday, SpaceX Engineers performed the
Dragon Flight Readiness Review to discuss all non-standard open items and
report back to NASA. A decision was made to postpone the flight to conduct
additional software reviews to ensure the Flight Computers will issue correct
commands during the flight’s operations particularly Rendezvous Procedures.

_“After reviewing our recent progress, it was clear that we needed more time to
finish hardware-in-the-loop testing and properly review and follow up on all
data. While it is still possible that we could launch on May 3rd, it would be
wise to add a few more days of margin in case things take longer than
expected,” a SpaceX said in a statement. Pre-Launch hardware Processing at Cape
Canaveral is continuing on schedule as technicians are performing final
pre-launch operations on the Dragon Spacecraft. Non-time critical cargo has
been loaded into the Dragon Capsule that is now undergoing Propellant Loading
for flight. The Falcon 9 Booster is ready to the rolled out to the Launch
Complex after Dragon integration is complete.

_Finding a
new Launch Date largely depends on two factors: Range Availability at Cape
Canaveral and ISS Visiting Vehicles traffic. The Air Force Controlled Range at
the Space Canaveral Air Force Station is currently reserved for an Atlas V
Launch with the AEHF 2 Satellite on May 3. Assuming an on-time launch of the
Atlas Launch Vehicle, the Range would then be reconfigured for the Falcon 9
Rocket. Also, the Rocket’s Static Fire has to be conducted prior to launch. Prior
to Launching, SpaceX will roll the Falcon 9 Rocket to the Launch Pad and
perform a short test fire of the nine Merlin first stage engines to check the
propulsion system of the launcher. The static fire was targeted for April 27
after weather related delays, but will be delayed to April 30 as the launch slipped.
Also, SpaceX only has Launch Opportunities every three days for this flight. In
case of a launch delay for the Atlas V, the next opportunity to Launch the
Dragon C2/3 mission would be May 10 leaving only one contingency day in the
flight for berthing the Vehicle to ISS since a Soyuz Rocket will be launched from
Baikonur on May 15 for Docking on May 17. Mission Controllers and Timeline
Planners usually want several days between Visiting Vehicle Activity on the
Space Station. NASA will be working with SpaceX and its International Partners
to find a new Launch Date for the Mission. Launch is currently targeted for May 7.
After being delivered to Orbit
by the Falcon 9 Booster, the Spacecraft will have to demonstrate a series of
maneuvers early in the flight in order to be allowed to come close to the Space
Station. These include GPS navigation tests, attitude control maneuvers, free
drift demonstration and Rendezvous Abort Tests. Also on Flight Days 1 through
3, Dragon will refine its orbit to match that of the Space Station. For a
launch on April 30, Dragon would perform an ISS Flyby on Flight Day 3. During
the maneuver, communication and navigation systems systems will be tested. The
Flyby will take Dragon as close as 2.5 Kilometers to the Station.

Photo: NASA Kennedy

_ After moving
back to a safe distance, engineers will review data obtained during the Flyby
to assess the Dragon’s Systems before allowing it to move into the Station’s
vicinity as this is still a test flight. Planning additional contingency time
for more reviews while the mission is in progress could require the vehicle to
be launched after the Soyuz TMA-04M Spacecraft arrives at ISS. Should the
vehicle be cleared for Rendezvous, Dragon would make its approach on on Flight
Day 4. During the Rendezvous Operation, Dragon will stop its approach at
pre-determined hold points to complete more objectives and give mission
controllers a chance to assess the status of the spacecraft. Once at the
correct position, the crew aboard the station will grapple the Capsule with the
Station’s Robotic Arm and place it in a pre-berthing position. After another
assessment of the Dragon Capsule's performance, Mission Control will give a GO
for berthing and the crew will work through standard procedures such as fist
stage capture and second stage capture leading up to leak checks and hatch
opening on Flight Day 5 of the Dragon Mission in order to start docked/cargo
operations. The planned duration of the C2/3 mission is ~21 Days. A complete
Mission Overview and Timeline will be available on Spaceflight101.com about one
week from launch.Photo Gallery: Dragon C2/3 Cargoload

NASA Flight Readiness Review complete, Launch NET April 30

April 16, 2012

_International
Space Station Program Managers and Engineers met on Monday to conduct the
Flight Readiness Review for the upcoming SpaceX Dragon C2/3 Mission to the
Space Station. The meeting concluded with a decision to press into Launch
Preparations for Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket with the Dragon Capsule
on top of it on April 30, 2012 at 16:22 GMT from Space Launch Complex 40 at
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. However, the date remains set as a
‘No-Earlier-Than’ Launch Target as teams from NASA and SpaceX have identified
open items that need to be addressed prior to launch. A formal decision on the
exact launch date and time will be made at a Mission Management Team Meeting
several days before launch.Space
Station Engineers reviewed all portions of the C2/3 Mission involving ISS or
Proximity Operations associated with the Dragon Flight as Launching the vehicle
is a SpaceX responsibility. “There is still quite a bit of work that has to be
done. I think there is a good chance to make the 30th (April Launch
Date),” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Human
Exploration and Operations.

Image: NASA

_Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini stressed
that the top priority of today’s Review was safety associated with ISS
Operations. Suffredini also noted that there are still ‘non-standard open
items’ that have to be addressed prior to flight. Those items include
verifications of final simulation data as well as software reviews associated
with the Rendezvous Sequence. NASA and SpaceX had been working closely together
for several months to complete final software configurations and conduct
extensive safety reviews and simulations to ensure the highest level of safety
for the International Space Station when the Dragon Capsule makes its
Rendezvous. These final reviews will involve the actual Dragon Capsule that is in Florida getting ready for launch as final Software-Hardware Compatibility is verified to make sure that commands issued by the software lead to correct action by the flight hardware. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stressed that this will be a test flight with
known risks as it is only the third flight of the Falcon 9 and the second for
the Dragon Capsule. Pending
these last systems reviews, the launch is currently targeted for April 30 and
ISS berthing for May 3. Prior to Launching, SpaceX will roll the Falcon 9
Rocket to the Launch Pad and perform a short test fire of the nine Merlin first
stage engines to check the propulsion system of the launcher. The test firing
is set for April 25. The final days of launch preparations will follow and
countdown operations will also be conducted by SpaceX.Once being
launched aboard the large Falcon 9 Rocket from Cape Canaveral, the Dragon
Capsule has to complete several Objectives before being allowed to Rendezvous with
the Space Station. After being delivered to Orbit by the Falcon 9 Booster, the Spacecraft will have to demonstrate a series of
maneuvers early in the flight in order to be allowed to come close to the Space
Station. These include GPS navigation tests, attitude control maneuvers, free
drift demonstration and Rendezvous Abort Tests. Also on Flight Days 1 through
3, Dragon will refine its orbit to match that of the Space Station. For a
launch on April 30, Dragon would perform an ISS Flyby on May 2. During the
maneuver, communication and navigation systems systems will be tested. The Flyby will take Dragon as close as 2.5 Kilometers to the Station. After moving
back to a safe distance, engineers will review data obtained during the Flyby
to assess the Dragon’s Systems before allowing it to move into the Station’s
vicinity as this is still a test flight. Should the vehicle be cleared for
Rendezvous, Dragon would make its approach on May 3. During the Rendezvous
Operation, Dragon will stop its approach at pre-determined hold points to
complete more objectives and give mission controllers a chance to assess the
status of the spacecraft. Once at the correct position, the crew aboard the
station will grapple the Capsule with the Station’s Robotic Arm and place it in
a pre-berthing position. After another assessment of the Dragon Capsule's
performance, Mission Control will give a GO for berthing and the crew will work
through standard procedures such as fist stage capture and second stage capture
leading up to leak checks and hatch opening on Flight Day 5 of the Dragon
Mission in order to start docked/cargo operations.

Photo: SpaceX

_Meanwhile, the Cargo Manifest for the C2/3 Mission
has been finished and Cargo Loading got underway inside the SpaceX Hangar at
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. 521 Kilograms of Cargo will be delivered to
the Space Station. These items are mostly low-value items such as food, water,
personal crew member equipment, clothes and every-day-life articles including
hygiene supplies. The cargo will be important to keep the Space Station in a
comfortable cargo configuration that can support a crew of 6 Astronauts for an
extended amount of time. Also part of the cargo are NanoRacks Modules which are
small low-cost experiment platforms that are used aboard the Space Station.
After unloading all the items delivered on the Dragon Capsule, the Crew aboard
ISS will load the spacecraft with items that will be returned to Earth. These
include science experiments and samples that will undergo extensive analysis
once back on Earth. The Dragon Capsule and the Soyuz Spacecraft are the only
vehicles that are capable of returning ISS Cargo to Earth. About 660 Kilograms
of cargo will be returned on Dragon C2/3. These items also include equipment
that will be refurbished and used again on the Space Station such as Water
System Components.

Falcon 9 completes Countdown Rehearsal

March 1, 2012

_In preparation for the first commercial space flight to the International Space
Station, the Falcon 9 Rocket and Dragon Capsule to fly the C2 Mission underwent
a countdown rehearsal earlier on Thursday at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.The fully
assembled rocket with the Dragon Spacecraft on top was moved to the Launch
Complex from its integration facility on Tuesday, February 28, 2012. Once at
the Pad, the Launcher was put in its erect launch position and lowered once
again on Wednesday for more testing to take place. Afterwards, the vehicle was
moved back to its vertical position in preparation for the mock launch countdown
on Thursday morning. Clocks started ticking in the early hours local time and
all systems and launch personnel underwent a full countdown rehearsal. As per
nominal countdown procedures, the vehicle was loaded with propellants, Rocket
Propellant 1 – highly refined Kerosene – and Liquid Oxygen. As the countdown
progressed, mission personnel conducted nominal checkout and testing operations
to ensure the vehicle was performing as expected. Fuel Tanks were pressurized
to flight level as the final countdown phase started and set the stage for a
planned Cutoff of the Sequence at T-5 Seconds – just before Engine start.
Cutoff was performed at around 17:18 GMT. After the Cutoff, teams started
vehicle safing and reconfiguration tasks that include draining the large tanks.
After tanks are empty, the vehicle will remain at the Launch Pad for several
more hours to allow it to warm up again and vent any residual Propellants.
Later today, Air Force Range Radars will conduct a test procedure to clear some
open issues to make sure Launch Vehicle Tracking Systems that require Support
from the Eastern Range that is operated by the Air Force, will be working
properly on Launch Day. Later, the Rocket will be moved back to its processing
facility where the Dragon Capsule will be removed from the stack for final processing. These
operations include vehicle fueling with storable propellants, cargo loading and
spacecraft testing.

Photo: NASA

_According to SpaceX, initial indications are that
today’s operations were completed without major problems. However, thorough data
reviews will take several days. SpaceX is currently working with NASA to
evaluate Dragon’s Approach Sequence to the Station to clear the way for launch.
These software reviews are the only open item that has to be addressed before
the C2 Mission can fly and make an approach to the Space Station. Currently, Launch is
planned for April of this year.Photo Gallery: Falcon 9 Assembly&Integration

Please consider supporting this website by making a small donation. Our reader's support keeps the site open & improving.